


The Kotomi Continuum III

by Mark629 (dialogue62)



Series: The Kotomi Continuum Project [3]
Category: Clannad
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Hokkaido, Parallel Universes, Romance, Science Experiments, Science Fiction, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2019-07-18 22:50:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 146,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16128377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dialogue62/pseuds/Mark629
Summary: Kotomi is lost in a parallel universe. Will her friends be able to bring her home? As the title implies, this story follows The Kotomi Continuum I and The Kotomi Continuum II. This third volume is planned to be the conclusion of the story. As usual, I do not own Clannad.





	1. It Is Kotomi's Will

**Friday, November 26, 2010 – The Okazaki House in Hokkaido**

* * *

Naoyuki knew that he looked like an old man. Surely, the days of his youth were long gone and the road from those days to now had been filled with far too much pain and bitterness. Much of that was his own fault, and he accepted it. Still, he had a hard time recognizing the man in the mirror, _When did I get so old?_

In truth, he looked older than he was. Most people were embarrassingly surprised when they discovered that he was only in his early forties and not ten to twenty years older, as they had assumed. He knew this too, but he believed that was the result of the hard life he had put himself through. At least he hoped that was the case. His own mother had aged well and he hoped only the best for his son… and his grandchildren.

 _My son…_ Naoyuki’s thoughts had gone out to Tomoya even more than ever, as he struggled through his own therapy and recovery. The therapy had gone well, and had been relatively quick. The pains that had wracked his body day and night were down to the occasional spasm. He had learned techniques to deal with that pain, but he did rely on a prescription medication for when the pain was unbearable and nothing else worked.

There had been a concern by his mother and by his doctors that his addictive nature would kick in and he would become dependent on the pain killers like he had been on alcohol and narcotics. But Naoyuki hadn’t entirely given up on life. There was still something he wanted to live for. His mother had figured it out and she had deployed a special assistance and reminder for whenever he felt weak to the calling of his old vices.

Pictures of his grandchildren adorned the walls of his room. More than that, there were pictures of Shuichi, Shuji, and Michiko on every wall of the house and small portraits in his wallet. Over the years, the pictures were updated with newer photos as the children grew. Naoyuki noticed immediately when a new photograph went up and would sometimes stare at the new picture until his mother came along to startle him out of his reverie.

“I may not have been a good father, but _by the gods_ , I am going to be a good grandfather!” he would mutter when his mother found him like that.

“You made some mistakes, but you weren’t a terrible father.” Shino told her son. But she knew he would never accept that. “In any event, Tomoya has forgiven you.”

“Yes. He is a remarkable young man.” Naoyuki truly admired his son and hoped him only the best in life.

“And he never would have been so remarkable if his father had been a complete failure.” Shino tried to prop up her son’s decimated ego.

“Well… maybe not a complete failure then.” Naoyuki would say this to appease his mother, but deep inside, he believed that any of Tomoya’s positive traits must have come from his mother. Or, those wonderful girls that were always with him. Kotomi-chan and Kyou had turned Tomoya around from a school delinquent into a respectable man of the community. Having completed high school, college, and law school, he had already accomplished more than Naoyuki had in his long life. And it was all due to those two amazing young women. _Yes, all of his good traits are from the mother he never knew and those two wonderful girls._

Indeed, the therapy had progressed much more quickly than the recovery. He had done well with the initial stages of his convalescence. There had actually never been a denial stage to overcome. He had known he was in a downward spiral back when his life was going out of control, and he had always accepted the responsibility for the pain he had caused his son. Along with that acceptance came a significant amount of guilt though. Even now, years later and after Tomoya had given him his forgiveness, Naoyuki could not relieve himself of the guilt… or the grief. To forgive himself was an impossible feat.

 _Yes, it’s best that I leave Tomoya and those beautiful children in the hands of those amazing girls. If I were there, I would only be trouble to… Tomoya-kun._ This was the mantra he would say to himself whenever he started to think about visiting them. Then… he would go back to staring at the latest pictures.

 

But all of that changed with the letter he received from Kotomi-chan in the morning mail. He was smiling when he saw the envelope. The sight of it almost made him chuckle. In a day and age when so many young people sent texts and knew nothing of writing letters, Kotomi-chan was a wonder. This wasn’t the first letter he had got from her either. They were not always warm, but they were always filled with facts about the family. He could tell from her letters that she had as hard a time expressing her emotions in her writing as she did verbally. But that was just part of her personality… like guilt was part of his own. So, he would read the fact filled letters and interpret the warmth.

Each of the children had grown this many centimeters and put on that many kilograms since the last letter. Speech and linguistics in both English and Japanese were progressing as such. Tomoya-kun has recently been showing interest in this and that, and Kyou-chan has been excited about such things as… The first few years of letters, from back when they were all in America, had been so sterile of emotion that he wondered if she was only doing this as some kind of duty. But her own development with her social skills showed in the letters that would follow over the years.

Today’s letter however, seemed to have reverted to an earlier time when she was still struggling to bare her feelings in her writing. But it hadn’t taken a lot of reading to realize that something was wrong. Kotomi had made that clear, right from the start.

* * *

Okazaki Naoyuki,

You are receiving this letter because something has happened to me. By the time you read this, there will already have been a meeting between the executor of my will, and the adult members of my family. Given the instructions I have laid out, I will already have been declared dead, or the declaration will be made withing thirty days because I have gone missing with little or no chance of recovery.

If my wishes are carried out by all parties as I have instructed, Tomoya-kun will be taking Kyou-chan as his new bride and the official mother of my children. In accordance with my wishes, this is to occur within a week of the issuance of my death certificate.

It is my hope that you will be at the wedding and help Tomoya-kun in any way that you can. It is also my hope that you will care for Kyou-chan's children as you have cared for my own, and that you will continue to play an important role in the futures of all of Tomoya-kun's children.

It has been my pleasure to have been your daughter-in-law.

Sayonara,

Ichinose – Okazaki, Kotomi

* * *

Naoyuki read the letter a second time… and then a third. The words were in the right order and made sense, but what they said was simply unbelievable. He was about to read it a fourth time when his mother stumbled into the room with a similar piece of paper clutched in her hand.

“Nao!” she cried out in sadness and shock.

“I got one too.” Naoyuki held up the letter as he rose to assist his mother to the table.

“How? How can this be?” Shino’s eyes teared with the pain of having lost such a wonderful person at such a young age. And… the tragic memory of her son having lost his wife came flooding back as well.

“I’ll call Yuki and see what she knows of this.” Naoyuki said as he pulled out his phone.

“I… I shall arrange transportation for us immediately.” Shino left to make her calls in another room.

 

**Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 – Hikarizaka Police Office**

* * *

It was fourteen days since Kotomi disappeared, and it was also the end of the month. It had only been two weeks since she had walked out of everyone's lives, but it felt like it had been much, much longer. Since Sunohara was the senior police officer on site, the investigation and the reports had become his responsibility.

He hoped this would go down in law enforcement journals as the strangest investigation on record. Youhei had a lot of technical data from the researchers for his report. Unfortunately, it would take one of those researchers to be able to understand what had happened. The worst part of the whole thing had been the section reserved for the investigator's summary and recommendation. It certainly wasn't the conclusion he wanted to come to. But this wasn't something that allowed a lot of flexibility… especially when it affected children.

_Given the technical details related to the case (included as an attachment to this report), this investigator must conclude that there is no reasonable suspicion of foul play, and the incident itself should be considered an accident. As a result of this accident, the person known as Ichinose-Okazaki Kotomi, is missing – with no realistic possibility of returning. Scientific advancements may change that outlook some day, but this investigator must consider the welfare of the children now, as well as their futures. It is therefore this investigator's opinion that the person known as Ichinose-Okazaki Kotomi, should be listed as 'presumed deceased' as soon as the mandatory waiting period is over._

With those words inscribed for the record, Youhei closed out the official inquiry into what had happened at the park that night. From the perspective of the police investigation, the matter was now closed, but there were a lot of people in the community that wanted more answers than ‘it was an accident.’ Youhei had been upset with them at first, but he understood their ire after he thought about it for a while.

The town had been slowly dying for a long time. Just like it was everywhere else in Japan, the birth rate was low and there wasn't a lot of work for the young people graduating High School or College. More often than not, the town's youth went off to the cities for college or work, and never came back. Even many of the adults in the town had been commuting to Tokyo or other cities for many years now. Parents, like the Fujibayashi's were rarely at home once their children were out of middle school. Some would begin the commuting life as soon as their child was out of grade school. Other families simply packed up and moved closer to their jobs. Until recently, there were almost as many shops and houses that were abandoned or empty, as there were open businesses and occupied homes. There were still a lot of people that liked their community and didn't want to see it waste away like so many other villages and towns across the country.

To all those people in the town, Kotomi's project had been a ray of hope. Her strange experiments brought renewed involvement in the little town of Hikarizaka. Government, industry, and education had all taken a keen interest in what was going on in this busy valley. The central government had a new office building under construction, just to handle the additional work that they could see developing over the next several years. Industry was acutely interested in the technological developments that the supporting research teams were coming up with. And finally, several colleges were joining together to create a joint campus for education and research. Not just the heavy technical colleges in Tsukuba, Osaka, and Tokyo either – their had been interest from foreign universities from as far away as Europe, America, and Australia.

But now, with Kotomi’s disappearance, everything was suddenly in doubt. Plans were put on hold and the flame from the candle of hope that so many had put their faith in, fluttered in the cold wind of changing fortune.

 

**Sunday, December 12, 2010 – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Tomoya’s cousin from Hokkaido, Yuki had her twenty-third birthday. In an effort to try to raise everyone’s spirits, a birthday party was held for her. Out of respect, a chair and a place for Kotomi was made at the table. Though it was a birthday for an adult, all of the children had been invited as well. After all, some of the people who needed their spirits raised the most, were Kotomi’s three children.

Unfortunately, their commendable efforts had the opposite effect from what was desired. The empty place at the table gave the otherwise happy event a sorrowful atmosphere.

The party disintegrated into adults holding crying children… and crying with them.

Tomoya couldn't handle the atmosphere and quietly left the house to go for a walk in the crisp autumn air. Unfortunately, he didn't get more than a few meters past the gate to his house when he ran into two people he really didn't want to see at a time like this.

“Okazaki-san! Always a pleasure to see you, even if there is still a certain sadness in the air.” the Secretary of the New Komeito Party called out. His friend, but political rival, the Minister was with him. As always, the gaunt minister wore a doleful scowl and said very little.

“Secretary, Minister.” Tomoya made a polite bow and wanted to turn around and just walk away… but he knew this wasn't a chance meeting and he would have to endure the two of them for a while. “What can I do for you?”

“Well… I'm really here to see what I can do for you.” the Secretary said with a half smile.

“Oh?” Tomoya knew he was only an amateur when it came to political maneuvering, so he decided not to try to spar with these two veterans on a battlefield where they were clearly more experienced. He left the question open-ended so they could quickly get around to telling him whatever it was they came here for.

“It all comes down to your determination and wishes to find your wife. You haven't given up on that already, have you?” the Secretary asked.

“No! I will never give up. As long as there's a chance...” Tomoya said in a defensive reaction. He realized that he had responded with more anger than he had meant to convey… and stopped in mid-sentence. He looked to the side and his fist balled up with his internal rage at having let the Secretary play his emotions so easily.

“Excellent! I knew you were a man with an abundance of passion.” the Secretary smiled broadly now as he sprung his trap, “I'm going to leave this with you for now. But you should fill it out and send it back to me as soon as possible.”

“Eh? What is this?” Tomoya asked as he took the string bound envelope from the man. It was heavy and there were official seals on it.

“That envelope contains the documents that you will need to complete… in order to bring you into the New Komeito Party and get you registered for the next election.” the Secretary beamed.

“What… why?” Tomoya sputtered. _Why would I want to get involved in_ _politics_ _, at a time like this?_

“Okazaki-san, I have no doubts that you are someone who can make things happen. However, you are not a scientist, are you?” the Secretary asked rhetorically.

“Um… well, no.” Tomoya admitted.

“Then, how _precisely_ do you plan to help in the efforts to find your wife?” the Secretary prodded.

“I don't know, but I don't think that running off to play politician is going to help.” Tomoya chided.

“Oh no?” the Secretary explained as if instructing a child, “A lot of ambitions were riding on the research that was supporting Kotomi-chan's experiments. Now that she is gone, there is an atmosphere of doubt. You have felt it already, haven't you?”

“Yes.” Tomoya admitted but was suspicious of where the Secretary was trying to lead him.

“If industry, government, and education back out of this little town, the funding and all the experienced researchers will leave. And, if that happens, who then will be looking for your wife?” the Secretary actually said the thing that had been giving Tomoya nightmares.

Tomoya wanted to scream at the injustice at all of this. And, he wanted to lash out at the feeling of being completely powerless. Instead, he bowed his head so the two men couldn't see the desperation in his eyes. The research groups were still focused and working to find the world that Kotomi had run off to… but for how long would they keep up that search? Tomoya had already been worried that the agreements that Kobayashi-hakase had been able to make, would turn out to be too fragile to survive one or two setbacks. He knew that it was just a matter of time before the funding was pulled and… the rescue efforts would come to an end.

“But, you can do something about it… if you want to.” the Secretary waited until Tomoya raised his head again before he continued, “Join the New Komeito Party and I will help you fight for your town… and the other things that are important to you. We will do all we can to encourage business and education – so that they stay interested in this place, and the great beginnings that Kotomi-chan set in motion.”

Tomoya looked down at the package in his hands again and saw it with a different light. It was certainly true that he was no scientist. _This… this is something I can do._ _But… should I? Is this the best thing I can be doing to help?_ Looking back up at the two men, he asked, “So… this is all about saving the town?”

“We are politicians, boy.” the taciturn Minister grumbled. “We can save people in general, and whole towns. If you want to save a specific individual, you’re better off with a fireman.”

“But if saving the town means insuring that the research goes on – and the continued research means finding your wife… well, that would work for you too. Wouldn’t it?” the Secretary said in a sweeter voice than his more bitter companion.

“Yes… I suppose it would.” Tomoya considered his lack of other realistic options and knew that he would probably accept their offer. But this wasn’t the time for rash decisions. It also wasn’t the time to make an important decision like this on his own. Looking down at the package in his hands, he knew that he would at least need to confer with… Kyou. Glancing back up at the two politicians, he asked, “Can I have some time to think about it?”

“Tomorrow morning…” the Minister blurted out – but stopped when the Secretary waved him off.

“I can give you ten days, but I need to have your answer by the twenty-third. Will that be enough time?” the Secretary asked politely, but there was a firmness to his answer that meant that there would be no extension.

“Yes… and… thank you very much, for your consideration.” Tomoya bowed low to show his respect to the elder man. Even if he wasn't completely enamored with the idea of getting into politics, it was a tremendous gesture that the Secretary was offering to him.

 

**Thursday morning, December 16, 2010 – City Hall**

* * *

The package from the Secretary of the New Komeito Party, remained unopened on Tomoya's desk as the day that Tomoya dreaded, came to pass. Yuri and one of the first of the new trainee teachers were handling the class so that Kyou could be with Tomoya at the old City Hall building, for this important but… unpleasant visit.

Dressed as if for a funeral, they stood together in a lobby and waited. Kyou could say nothing. Her own emotions were a chaos inside her heart and she wondered why she was here to support Tomoya, if she was such a wreck herself. In one hand, she held a folded handkerchief that she used to dab the occasional tear. The other hand fluttered in tempo with her inner turmoil.

Tomoya felt Kyou's fingers brush against his hand and he grasped it reflexively. He couldn't look at her, but he was glad for the affection at a time like this. He felt like he was crumbling inside and wanted nothing more than to get out of these mournful clothes and run screaming at the uncaring world. But Kyou's hand was warm and soft and gentle. The same hand that could throw a dictionary hard enough to shatter concrete, was giving him comfort with it's kindness.

“Thank you, Kyou-chan” Tomoya whispered. The strong, lavender haired girl was proof to him that the world wasn't so uncaring after all. _Perhaps there is hope for Kotomi. And for me. Thank you Kyou. You_ _helped_ _me realize that there is hope for all of us._ His thoughts had become more peaceful as he marveled at how Kyou could be so calm and kind in a situation like this.

 _He's holding my hand! He's_ _H_ _olding_ _M_ _y_ _H_ _and! H_ _E’S HOLDING MY HAND_ _! What do I do?_ Kyou's eyes were open wide and she could feel her head about to explode like a runaway steam engine. Tomoya had held her hand before, but it had usually been in private or while also holding Kotomi's hand. This possibility had not been on the list of things she had prepared herself for today. _What should I do? Should I yank my hand back? Should I hit him for being too affectionate in such a public place? Should I… just… let him hold my hand?_ _Oh no… what if I start sweating?_

Both of their musings were interrupted when the door to the offices on the other side of the lobby finally opened.

Sakagami Tomoyo and the Mayor entered the lobby and came over to the waiting couple. Tomoyo immediately noticed them holding hands and assumed that Tomoya was trying to comfort Kyou since she looked like she was about to self destruct. Without a word, the platinum blond formally handed Tomoya an official envelope. Tomoyo was acting very formal and obviously trying to rein in her own emotions. The mayor himself wasn’t doing as good a job and was having to dab at tears.

“Okazaki Tomoya, please accept this document for your personal records.” Tomoyo said as she handed him the carefully prepared documents. Then her professional veneer cracked a little and she added, “And… please accept my most heartfelt condolences.”

“Please accept my condolences as well.” the Mayor blurted out.

“I understand. Thank you, Sakagami-san. Thank you Mr. Mayor.” Tomoya knew that with the receipt of this envelope, it was official that the government of Japan had declared his wife to be legally… dead. And with that declaration, his marriage to Ichinose Kotomi was officially terminated. Tomoya knew that she wasn’t really dead, but there were laws and rules about missing persons that must be upheld. He also knew that his feelings must be playing out on his face to the degree that even the mayor must be worried about his emotional state. To make sure that Tomoyo and the mayor knew that he didn’t hold them responsible for the sadness of this day, he told them both, “Thank you… both of you, for your hard work.”

“I would be honored to attend any remembrance ceremony.” the mayor said.

“There will be no ceremony.” Tomoya said tersely. He knew it was expected, but he couldn’t bring himself to hold such an event when he knew that she was still alive… somewhere.

“Okazaki!” Tomoyo stepped up very close to her former boyfriend and quietly told him, “You should reconsider that decision. It would be cruel to Kyou to have the memory of her wedding always confused with her best friend's funeral.”

“Wedding?” the Mayor asked as if he had just heard something that didn't make any sense at all.

“I… you’re right, of course.” Tomoya reconsidered. Tomoyo’s words had made him acknowledge his own selfishness. There were many others to think of now. Family and friends were hurting too, and he needed to do his best for all of them.

“Long ago, Kotomi extracted a promise from Kyou that she would marry Tomoya if anything ever happened to her. It was no grudging promise either. I have never seen Kotomi as happy as she was when she recounted Kyou’s promise to me.” Tomoyo explained to the Mayor, but also told the tale of that conversation as a reminder to the two grieving friends now standing in front of her, “Kotomi told me that there were two very important reasons for this pact. Having grown up after losing both of her parents, Kotomi wanted to make sure that a similar fate would never befall her own children.”

Tomoya and Kyou blushed at having Kotomi’s strange request announced to another person. But the Mayor seemed confused about something.

“Two… you said there were two reasons?” the Mayor prompted.

Kyou looked at the platinum blond in anticipation. She had not heard of this conversation before and wondered what Kotomi's other reason was as well.

“Kyou is in love with him.” Tomoyo said simply.

“Eep!” Kyou squeaked. She should have realized that something like this would happen. Kotomi, being the kind of person that she was, would have told this to Tomoyo without even blushing. She would have been perfectly thrilled that another woman was so deeply in love with her husband. And Tomoyo was the kind of person that would repeat that confidence without even considering the impropriety.

The Mayor looked confused for a moment, but his political reflexes were sharp. So, even if he didn't fully understand the situation, he knew how to respond to the announcement of a wedding, “I would be honored to attend the wedding ceremony as well.”

“As would I.” Tomoyo added.

 

**Friday morning, December 17, 2010 –** **Aoki Grade School**

* * *

Kyou looked at the schedule on her phone while she carried several textbooks through the hallway of normal classrooms. The book repository was inconveniently located down this corridor so she had to walk the length of the school whenever she needed new books. It was the first time in a long while that she had made the trip herself. For the last few months, Yuki always volunteered to take care of returning books or picking up new ones for the class. But Yuki was busy today, so Kyou was walking the unfamiliar hallway when a snide voice called out.

“So, the precious sensei has finally come out of her room to run her own errands. What happened? Are you not as _special_ as you used to be?” the overweight teacher sneered. It was no secret that many of the normal teachers thought of Kyou’s program as a waste of time in the beginning. Now that her program was showing impressive results, those teachers had become somewhat bitter and had even cast aspersions that Kyou and Yuki were somehow cheating the system.

“If you have something to say – say it.” Kyou said in a bored tone without breaking her stride.

“I know where you were yesterday.” the teacher taunted.

“Oh?” Kyou stopped and turned to face the woman that sounded like she thought she had some juicy gossip, “I didn’t make it a secret that I was going to City Hall. Are you suggesting that there is something wrong with going to a government office?”

“Hah, don’t try and sound so innocent. Everyone knows why you were there. You wanted that Ichinose woman’s death certificate in your hot little hands so you could take her man. But it doesn’t work that way. All you’ll ever be to him is a plaything… a mistress… a tramp.” the teacher said with contempt. But her attitude started changing to fear as the lavender haired and purple eyed woman started to… change. She watched as Kyou’s face… and even the air around her head seemed to be going dark. And her eyes seemed to glow an angry red from the depths of that surrounding darkness.

Kyou had one of the textbooks in her hand and was about to let loose with a throw that would turn the wall behind that snide teacher into dust and rubble. She wanted to knock those words back into the vile mouth from whence they came. More importantly, she wanted to erase that pathetic excuse for a teacher from all existence. Her vision narrowed to the useless idiot now stricken with fear and standing in the cross-hairs of Kyou’s fury and vengeance.

But, a sudden warmth stayed her hand. There was no-one there, but she had the same feeling as she did when Tomoya-kun and Kotomi-chan both hugged her. It had been a while since she had felt that warmth… that love. They would hold her like that when she was at her worst. When anger, or despair, or fear overwhelmed her… the two of them would wrap her up in their love and hold onto her until the world was bearable again. She had thought that she would never have that feeling again… but now… she felt like she could almost hear Kotomi telling her that everything would be okay. Putting the book back in the stack she was carrying, she took a few deep breaths. Then, a though occurred to her that made her smile inside.

“I will have a proper response for you on Monday. Be ready for it.” Kyou said with a smirk.

 

**Friday afternoon, December 17, 2010 – _Sunohara_ House**

* * *

Tomoya’s new resolve to do better by his friends started the very next day. He and Kyou brought all of the kids over to the house he grew up in – the place where his long time friends Youhei and Yukine lived with their son, Yoichi. It was the little boy’s fifth birthday and it marked the age when he would start his schooling the following April as a kindergartner.

Tomoya’s own daughter Michiko, was very fond of the Sunohara boy and had spent a lot of time with him since the disappearance of her mother. Even now, she was lying on a mat and had her head in the birthday boy's lap. Yoichi didn't mind and was smiling as he gently patted her head.

“You and Kyou are dressed up pretty nice for a kid’s birthday party.” Youhei pointed out.

“Yeah… after this, we are going over to the Fujibayashi home to tell her parents about the wedding.” Tomoya told his friend.

“Eh? WHAT?” Youhei almost choked on his soda, “You’re marrying Kyou in two days and you haven’t even told her parents yet?”

“We were hoping that…” Tomoya started to explain, but Youhei actually seemed angry with him.

“You love Michiko and you want to raise your daughter to be a good, dependable, and smart girl, right?” Youhei wagged a finger at his taller friend, “How would you feel if she were in her twenties and showed up out of the blue with some guy. And then she tells you that the two of them will be getting married in two days?”

“If the guy was Yoichi, I would be okay with it.” Tomoya answered calmly.

“Huh? What? Really?” Youhei was stunned at the unexpected answer.

“But, I get your point.” Tomoya smiled at his friend’s confusion, “Honestly, I would rather put this off for a few months, but there are certain… legal requirements.”

“Legal requirements?” Youhei said aghast. Then he planted his hands on their backs and started pushing them toward the door, “All right, you two should leave the kids here and just go now.”

“Huh?” Kyou was finally pulled out of her silence when Youhei started pushing both of them toward the door and Yukine was already waiting for them with their jackets.

“Take as much time as you need. The kids will be fine here with us.” Youhei assured them.

“But…” Tomoya hadn’t planned on leaving the kids here and wanted to tell Youhei that his concern was appreciated but probably unnecessary.

“You are about to go do battle with the man that is responsible for making Kyou the person that she is. Don’t think too lightly of this!” Youhei warned Tomoya.

“HEY! What is _that_ supposed to mean?” Kyou shouted at Youhei, but continued to put on her outdoor shoes.

“You can be described as aggressive, willful, and formidable…” Yukine mentioned some of Kyou’s traits that, while not very ladylike, were not necessarily negative things either. But Youhei added to his wife’s carefully chosen list with something unnecessary.

“...and loud.” Youhei finished his wife’s sentence.

“I AM NOT…” Kyou caught herself before she finished the sentence while shouting. In a quieter voice, and through a lip jutting pout, she said the final word, “… loud.”

“I think we have all heard the stories of the many… _differences of opinion_ … that you had with your father.” Yukine said gently, “A strong will is not a bad thing. It gives one resolution when the world turns chaotic. But, what I think my dear husband – and your good friend, is trying to say is, both of you may have to deal with that strong will now. So, you should take all the time you need and do your best to keep emotions from boiling over too much.”

Kyou blushed because she knew that everything Yukine had just said was as correct about her father… as it was for her. She gave a quick glance at Tomoya to see if he was laughing at her, but he seemed to be concentrating on fastening his jacket at the moment.

“Thank you Youhei, Yukine. Kyou and I will both strive to do our best.” Tomoya said as he reached for the door.

 

Tomoya parked the big family car on the street in front of the old Fujibayashi home. Without the kids and Yuki in the car with them, the big vehicle seemed cavernous and empty. The short drive over had been silent and it was still quiet as they looked out the side windows at the house. Although it was a familiar place to Kyou, Tomoya hadn’t been there many times and felt an uneasiness about seeing Kyou’s father on his own turf. After getting out of the car, he offered his arm to the woman who would soon be his legal wife. But even Kyou seemed to be nervous about this trip to see her father. They hadn’t always seen eye to eye and she looked like she was expecting this to become yet another battleground.

_But this time, it will be a battle I know that I can win. They want me to get married and that’s what I am doing. I’m old enough to decide for myself who I am going to marry and no-one can tell me otherwise. This time I am going to win. This time I am going to win!_

Tomoya wondered if Kyou would just open the door and announce herself – since this was her childhood home. But they were there as a couple and certain protocols should be observed. Both of them waited amidst nervous tension after Tomoya rang the doorbell. He noticed that Kyou had her eyes closed tight and seemed to be psyching herself up for an anticipated fight.

“You’re… sure they’re going to be home?” Tomoya asked.

“Yeah. Both of them said they would be here.” Kyou answered just as they heard the doorknob being turned.

Unexpectedly, Ryou opened the door and blinked at them in confusion.

“Ryou? Why are you here?” Tomoya asked.

“Rude! I might ask you the same thing.” Ryou replied. Years of college and medical school seemed to have given the more timid twin a bit of spunk in her personality. _Or, perhaps she had always had the ability to be spunky, but living with someone like Kyou had…_ Tomoya’s self preservation instincts kicked in at that moment, and he decided to stop going down that path.

“We’re here to tell… Otousan and Okāsan, that we are getting married.” Kyou told her twin sister.

“I’m pretty sure they already know.” Ryou replied to her onee-chan.

“What?” Kyou sounded startled.

“Oh, uh… nothing. They’re in the living room now.” Ryou said as Kyou and Tomoya entered. Then she ran off toward the kitchen and called back, “I’ll see you in a bit. I have to check on something now.”

“Something is off here.” Kyou sounded worried.

“No kidding. Ryou is checking on something in the kitchen? That can’t be good.” Tomoya said quietly. Then he flinched when Kyou punched him in the arm.

“Not that!” Kyou grumped, “I mean… Why is she here and what did she mean about my parents already knowing about us getting married?”

There was no reply to her question, but the answer was apparent when they got to the entrance to the living room. Inside, Otousan was was sitting in a comfortable chair with little Ushio sitting in his lap. She was wearing a kimono, but not the highly decorated and colorful Furisode that young girls would wear for Girls Day, or to a tea ceremony. It was a lovely dark pink with patterns running up only to the waist. Nagisa too was wearing a similarly patterned kimono but in a deep matte gold. The lesson that Kotomi had given Tomoya long ago came to mind when he saw Kyou’s mother.

“That is a Kurotomesode.” Tomoya said quietly as he looked at the black kimono with the pattern also only going to the waist. Then he looked again at Nagisa and Ushio and said, “And those are Irotomesodes.”

“What does that mean?” Kyou asked. She had never had the long lecture on Kimonos from Kotomi, the way that Tomoya had.

“The mothers of the bride and groom wear the Kurotomesode. All other female relatives wear the Irotomesode.” Tomoya explained.

“But… that would mean…” Kyou knew that it was still not legal for two women to marry in Japan, so the only other reason her mother would be trying on a Kurotomesode would be for Kyou’s marriage to Tomoya. For a moment, she thought about yelling at her sister for telling their parents something that should have been her own responsibility. But, _jumping to conclusions_ was a reaction that she was still trying to resist. Losing her quiet voice, she turned to her mother and asked, “Okāsan, how did you know?”

“Kotomi told us of the arrangement you had with her some time ago. You told me the rest just the other day.” her mother replied.

“Eh?” Kyou didn’t remember doing anything of the sort.

“Kotomi told you of the arrangement that Kyou would marry me if anything ever happened to her?” Tomoya asked.

“Yes. We were both in a bit of shock, but she seemed so happy about it. We just didn’t have the heart to tell her that the whole thing was a bit… unconventional.” the Fujibayashi mother replied.

“Papa!” Ushio’s voice pealed out across the room after noticing the new arrivals. She looked thrilled to see Tomoya as always, but she made no move to climb down from Grandpa Fujibayashi’s bouncing knee.

“Hello Okazaki-san. Hello Kyou-chan.” Nagisa greeted them.

“Hello Furukawa-san. Hello Ushio.” Tomoya replied to the former schoolmate and her adopted daughter. He felt the familiar shiver go down his spine that happened every time he greeted the little girl that was the offspring of a Tomoya and a Nagisa from another universe.

“Kotomi-chan looked like someone who had just won the lottery. I didn’t know what to make of it.” Kyou’s father added without pausing Ushio’s pony ride.

“What’s a lottery?” Ushio asked. Then she listened as her adoptive grandfather whispered the answer into her ear while the rest kept talking.

“Then, last week you told me that the government would be…” Kyou’s mother glanced at little Ushio and decided to use a little more sensitivity when choosing her words, “… issuing _that_ document on Thursday.”

“Excellent deductive thinking.” Tomoya smiled and gave Kyou’s hand a firm squeeze to let her know that he wasn’t upset about this… and she shouldn’t be either. “I suppose that is to be expected of the parents of two girls who were class leaders, and have now become responsible members of the community.”

“You’re no slouch either, Okazaki-san.” Kyou’s mother stepped toward her soon-to-be son-in-law. “At least, not any more. I thought Otousan was going to pull his remaining hair out when he discovered that his precious daughter was going to a foreign country with the school’s delinquent.”

“Okazaki wasn't _really_ a delinquent!” Nagisa insisted.

“What’s a dull-ink-went?” Ushio asked. Once again, she listened as her adoptive grandfather whispered the answer into her ear.

“So, you are okay with me marrying your daughter now?” Tomoya asked. Given that the person he was asking was already trying on a Kurotomesode, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. But he wanted the Fujibayashi parents to say it, for Kyou’s sake.

“I am… even if I am also saddened for the reasons behind it. I know how much you both loved Kotomi-chan. And, I am a bit worried that it might end up as a loveless marriage since you are being forced into it for the sake of the kids. But, I really do hope it will work out. Tomoya-kun, I… we will both be proud to have you as a son-in-law.” Kyou’s mother said.

“Th… thank you, Okāsan.” Kyou’s eyes were opened wide at what her mother had said and she was having a hard time holding back the tears.

“I thank you too, but…” Tomoya wanted to clear something up, “There is something I need to tell you. Since Kotomi has apparently told you many things already, you may have heard this before. Nevertheless, you need to hear it from me. Only the timing of this marriage is forced. As far as this being a loveless marriage, that will be impossible. I have loved Kyou since our high school days.”

“Ah!” Kyou gasped. She always had a hard time coming to grips with how she felt about Tomoya all these years. After the other day, when Tomoyo had exposed her feelings in front of the Mayor and Tomoya, neither of them had talked about her feelings at all. Kyou had thought that he must be fighting the same internal struggle that she was. So, to hear him announce this so easily, and in front of her parents, was shocking to her.

Both of her parents, as well as Nagisa and Ushio, were listening to what he had to say with interest. He was glad to see that there was no revulsion, disappointment, or anger in their expressions.

“I was already in love with Kotomi and I didn’t know how to deal with it at first. I thought it would be a problem for everyone. I had supposed that Kotomi would feel betrayed and Kyou would be furious that I would be that kind of person. I was going to try and put some distance between us, to solve the problem. But Kotomi wouldn’t allow that.”

“Kotomi wouldn't allow it?” Kyou's stunned mother repeated the words to make sure she heard them right.

Tomoya could see that his explanation so far had just confused everyone more. So, he had to reach back further to help them all understand, “You see… I didn’t have much experience with matters of the heart, and I didn’t have the emotional tools to deal with my feelings. Kotomi, on the other hand, may have had a hard time understanding other peoples feelings, but she was adept at puzzling out her own. And, she was able to see personal relationships in an innocent way that defied and ignored common customs and societal norms. She didn’t see my love for Kyou as an insult to her. In fact, she encouraged it and even nurtured it. So, please do not worry about this becoming a loveless marriage. As far as I am concerned, I am already in love with Kyou… I have been for a very long time, and for all intents and purposes… she is already my wife.”

“Tomoya!” Kyou blushed and hid her face in his shoulder.

“Then… do you not intend to have the wedding?” Kyou’s father asked with raised eyebrow.

“The wedding is a formality, but it is an important one.” Tomoya would not have said this a few days ago. If it had been up to him, he would have forgone the wedding and just filed the paperwork at City Hall. But Tomoyo’s comments from the other day had hit home and there were other people to think of. This was not something he could be selfish about.

 

Tomoya had given the right answer. Aside from making the Fujibayashi parents happy, it also seemed to do a lot for Kyou's state of mind too. She hadn't completely rid herself of the feelings of guilt, but she was doing a lot better. And, in the days that followed, she was confident that she would be able to jump right into being the wife and… the mother. Of course, it would help a lot that all of the children in the family already saw her as their mother.

 

**Sunday afternoon, December 19, 2010 – Hikarizaka Private High School Auditorium**

* * *

The wedding itself had been a lovely affair with mixed elements of old and new. It was performed in the traditional Japanese style with kimonos and sake, but with a more western layout. Youhei stood by Tomoya as his best man, and Tomoya's cousin Yuki was chosen to be Kyou's bridesmaid.

This time, Tomoya’s father and grandmother were there to watch him exchange vows and rings with the _other_ woman that the young Okazaki man had long loved. But they certainly weren’t the only ones in attendance. Tomoyo sat with Isamu and the other members of the Survey Team known affectionately as _her boys_. The Secretary, Minister, and Mayor were there as well, and seemed determined to have a long conversation with Kobayashi-hakase and Melissa. The Furukawa’s, Fujibayashi’s, Sunohara’s, and Yoshino’s were there with their complete families. Koumura and Sugisaka were there to help watch over the children. The rest of the audience included teachers and staff from the school where Kyou and Yuki taught, researchers that were now working for Kobayashi-hakase on the rescue effort, and old classmates.

The number of people responding to the invitations had surprised everyone. Knowing that the wedding would be on very short notice, Koumura had gone with Tomoya to request one of the classrooms at their old high school, for the wedding. They had hoped to use the room that had once belonged to the Drama Club. But those plans had quickly changed with the unexpectedly high turnout.

As happy as everyone was for the marriage, it seemed that there were many that had come for other reasons. No-one had anything nefarious planned for the new couple, but there were several other agenda's at play nonetheless. It was during the reception when those topics came up.

Yukine, Tomoyo, and _her boys_ cornered Kobayashi-hakase, Melissa, and several of the researchers. Kobayashi was fairly certain that they hadn't come for a fight, but they did seem more than a little upset about something. At least _the boys_ did.

“Hey Puffessuh. Long time no see.” Iwao gave Kobayashi a stony stare while greeting the academic.

“It… hasn't been that long.” Kobayashi Jun replied worriedly. He could hear his own concern in his voice and wondered if he had inadvertently done something to offend these toughs.

“We kinda noticed that the day for our first search came and went… and we didn't go anywhere.” Ryota's jaw was set as he told them, “I know you don't see us as equals, but even we are smart enough to use a calendar.”

“That's what you're upset about?” Melissa was a bit surprised but was able to explain, “We're still crunching numbers. To be honest, we aren't a lot closer to figuring out where Kotomi went than we were when it happened. But you have to believe that we're doing our best.”

“Yeah well… it's just that Kotomi-chan was pretty special to us. She believed in us… she gave us a chance when everyone else had written us off.” Takeshi grumbled.

“She was special… to you?” Melissa's face became furious, “You don't think she was special to us? She was my kohai and my sensei, she was the closest friend I ever had! We went to school together. We went shopping together. We _took bath's_ together!”

“Melissa-chan… I'm sorry.” Takeo reached out to Melissa but didn't step any closer to her. He was worried that he and his friends had gone too far.

“I understand your feelings.” Kobayashi Jun told both Melissa and the boys. “I have been her guardian since she was a little girl. This isn't easy for me either. But… there is something I want you… all of you to know as a certainty. Just because you see Tomoya-kun marrying someone else now, it does _not_ mean that Kotomi-chan has been forsaken. In fact… the only reason they rushed into this wedding so quickly was because of Kotomi-chan's wishes.”

“No way.” Takeshi couldn't believe any woman would really want her husband to run off and marry someone else as soon as she was out of the picture.

“It's true.” Tomoyo surprised the boys by corroborating Kobayashi Jun's story, “She told me a long time ago that she wanted Kyou to marry Tomoya and become the mother to her children… if anything ever happened to her.”

“So… you guys really are still trying to find where Kotomi-chan went, right? You just… don't have anywhere for us to go yet. Is that it?” Isamu asked.

“Well… that's not entirely true.” Kobayashi sighed as if he had been putting off this announcement. But this was as good a time to tell them as any. “It is true that we don't have a destination to search for Kotomi-chan as yet. But, we still need to prove that we can actually go back to the same place a second time. So, we do have somewhere for you to go.”

“That sounds like good news. But you and Melissa-chan don't act like it's good news. What gives?” Kenta asked suspiciously.

“We just lost Kotomi-chan. We didn't think that you would want to lose someone else so soon after that.” Kobayashi said.

“Look Puffessuh, we knows da risks. Ya don hafta worry bout that no more.” Iwao said.

“It's not that.” Melissa looked over at the scary, gorilla faced Hiroki and sadly told them, “We think we can get you back to Tomoyo-1.”

“Tomoyo-1… what's that?” Tomoyo asked. She was understandably curious why one of the destinations was named after her.

“It was a destination where, in that universe, Tomoya-kun ended up with Sakagami Tomoyo. That universe did not include an Ushio, but it did have a Nagisa.” Kobayashi told them.

“A very special Nagisa-chan. At least… she is special to Hiroki.” Melissa reluctantly revealed to them what they had been able to achieve in the last few weeks. It wasn't a step toward finding Kotomi, but it was a step toward being able to retrieve her once they found out where she went.

Hiroki never talked much and never showed much emotion either. Even now, he was silent and his face was stony. But his eyes were more than damp. Big tears ran down the stony cheeks as he understood what this meant for him.

“I suggest you boys spend as much time with Hiroki as you can.” Kobayashi decided not to postpone the inevitable any further and announced, “In a little over three weeks, we will be testing this hypothesis. And, if it's true… if it works out… ”

“We may never see him again.” Tomoyo felt a stab of guilt at the loss this group of friends would soon be suffering.

“If it's true, Hiroki will finally be able to be with the only woman he ever loved.” Kenta said defiantly. All eyes turned to him in surprise. Since he was normally the trickster of the group, such a serious thing was unexpected of him. He looked back at the stunned expressions and pouted, “What!”

“Thank you, hakase.” Isamu said to Kobayashi, then bowed to the group of academics. “I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. As always, we are in your care. But please… don't be _too_ careful. Remember that we want to do our part too.”

As Kobayashi and Melissa watched the others walk away. Some of his friends were patting Hiroki on the back as if he had just won a very special prize. Others, like Tomoyo, seemed heavily burdened. Melissa was envious when she saw the tall platinum blond leaning on Isamu for comfort. Melissa's eyes moved to the man she had been spending a lot of time with. She wondered if Takeo would turn and look at her… if he felt the same way that she did. She thought of turning away, but something inside - told her to remain watchful until he was out of sight.

Takeo turned to have a last look at Melissa before leaving the reception with his friends. She was looking at him and their eyes met. But her eyes seemed sad and she seemed to be telling him something across the distance of the noisy room.

 _Gomen'nasai._ Melissa mouthed the word to her lover and blinked back the tears of regret.

“He may not be lost after all.” Kobayashi's words should have sounded hopeful, but the tone was quite the opposite.

“What do you mean?” Melissa asked him.

“I don't know how much longer our backers will support us. With all the equipment and the manpower, this project has never been cheap. And now, with all the indecision…” Kobayashi admitted his fears to this small group. But this time, it would be Melissa that would come to his rescue.

“I don't think the indecision will be a problem for much longer.” Melissa said with a knowing smile. When she saw Kobayashi's confusion, she nodded in the direction of the smiling married couple.

Kobayashi was about to ask how the marriage could make a difference in the matter that they had been discussing. Then he noticed who Tomoya and Kyou were talking to at the moment. The Mayor was over there… as well as the MEXT and the Secretary of the New Komeito Party.

“Do you really think he'll do it?” Kobayashi asked.

“Hah! He hasn't realized it yet, but he's already made the decision.” Melissa laughed. But her humor faded quickly when she thought of what was sure to be in store for him after coming to such a conclusion. Although his adult life hadn't exactly been carefree, what little freedom he had would come to an end soon. He would know this, but he was the kind of person that would make the choice anyway. Melissa had heard stories about Tomoya's youth and had a hard time believing it was the same person. The Tomoya she knew wouldn't hesitate if there was a chance to recover his wife. Of course, his motives weren't completely altruistic. He was doing this for himself as much as he was doing it for Kotomi. But he was also doing it for his kids… and even for Kyou.

It was Tomoya's conviction towards his friends that had helped her come to her own conclusion. As much as she regretted it, she knew it would be necessary for her to show as much commitment as Tomoya. Even if it hurt… even if it meant having to say goodbye to some truly good friends… and to the man she was falling in love with. That was the level of commitment Tomoya inspired in her.

“Yeah, he'll do it.” Melissa said sorrowfully.

 

An odd result of the marriage to Kyou was what it did to Ushio's status. Although she had been legally adopted by Nagisa and Ryou, Tomoya was acknowledged as her father. But, since she was legally Ryou's daughter, and Ryou was Kyou's sister, that made her also Tomoya's niece. It wasn't anything that any of them really worried about though. The whole discussion was more like an interesting conversation piece than anything else. In everyone's view, little Ushio was still Tomoya's daughter. And so, when Kyou and Tomoya were married, Ushio was given a special place to sit with Shuichi, Shuji, and Michiko.

 

**Monday morning, December 20, 2010 – Aoki Grade School**

* * *

_I will have a proper response for you on Monday. Be ready for it._

For two days, the snide teacher that had confronted Kyou had been scared. It was Monday now and her fear was giving her the shakes.

_Be ready for it._

_What had she meant by that?_ _Stupid uppity bitch!_ _Is she going to call me out behind the gymnasium or in the teacher’s parking lot? Does she plan to beat me up, or did she file a complaint with that worthless Principal?_ The thoughts borne of the fear from seeing Kyou in her dark aura persona had stayed with her. Thinking that all the other teachers were on her side, she had been shocked to discover that most of them were appalled that she had said something so crass to someone who had just lost a friend… even if they also thought Kyou’s idea’s were strange and that she might be a bit smug.

The panicking teacher was in the midst of her fearful anticipation when she realized that Kyou was standing in the middle of the hallway and just watching as the last of the children streamed into their classrooms. The bell rang, but her fear had her unable to move from the spot where she was standing.

 _Oh no! Is this what it’s like for a prey animal to look into the eyes of a predator?_ The teacher trembled.

But there was no dark aura around Kyou this morning. In fact, she seemed happy as she took the few steps necassary to close the distance to the rotund teacher still standing in front of her classroom. Kyou was still smiling when she suddenly raised her hand towards the teacher’s face.

“Eep!” the previously smug teacher closed her eyes and turned away in anticipation of the blow to her face. She had been expecting a hit or a slap from the lavender haired lunatic. When it didn’t come, she slowly opened her eyes and turned back to see Kyou still smiling and holding the backside of her hand up for her to see. Confusion set in. _There’s nothing in her hand. It’s open and… quite ordinary. True, she has long delicate looking fingers, but other than the wedding ring…_

_WEDDING RING!?!?!?!_

Kyou saw the fear in the face of the portly teacher, turn into comprehension, and then shock as she figured out what she was looking at. There were lots of things that Kyou could say at a moment like this. Rumors said that the woman had once been desperate to get married, but had never been in a serious relationship. But Kyou elected not to play the rumor game and decided on a much simpler tactic. With the hand that was already raised, she waved.

“Bye bye.” Kyou smiled as she turned and walked down the corridors of the old grade school to the wing that was now all hers. Today would be an important day. Today, she would be interviewing many teachers to fill the classrooms in that wing. It was important to start the day off in a positive way.

 

**Monday noon, December 20, 2010 – Family Restaurant near the train station**

* * *

Tomoya had met with these two political principals at this place before. Like the last time, he was filled with trepidation at what he was about to do. Unlike the last time, he was alone. But the mood was different this time too. Tomoya looked like he had given up – as if he had accepted a terrible fate because there were no other options. Being honest with himself, he did feel like there were no other options… that had acceptable outcomes.

He could write letters and plead his case… and hope for the best. But he knew that there really wasn't _much_ hope in that course of action. Then there was always the option to just give up… on Kotomi. But that was something he just could not do. So, it would have to be… this.

Tomoya pushed the envelope across the table to the two dignitaries. The Secretary didn't reach for it until Tomoya took his hand away. Tomoya's hand went back into his lap and he looked down as he sighed.

“Please, Okazaki-san… you don't have to look so defeated.” the Secretary said as he pulled the packet across the table and slid it into his satchel without opening it to verify anything.

“If joining the New Komeito Party depresses you that much, you shouldn't have done it.” the Minister harrumphed.

“It's not that. I mean… I don't dislike the Party or anything. It's just that… I feel like I should be involved more with…” Tomoya's voice trailed off. He had already been down that avenue of thought and knew that there were no good answers.

“We can only do what we can do.” the Secretary said sympathetically.

“Personally, I feel sorry for your wife.” the Minister said derisively.

“Hey, I want to get her back as much as anybody!” Tomoya growled defensively.

“I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about the girl you married yesterday. Or have you already forgotten that she is the one that is your _wife_ now?” the Minister spat back.

“You’re going too far.” the Secretary admonished his friend.

“No I'm not! I was quite impressed with the young lady and I have to say, she deserves better than you. She is your _wife_ now. Don't try to tell me that she only married you because she felt some duty to her friend, or for the good of the children. I'm not buying it.” the Minister hissed.

“What are you saying?” the Secretary asked while Tomoya fumed at the old man's accusatory tone.

“She loves you. Even a cynical old bastard like me can see it. If you can't see it, you're blind, stupid, or both!” the Minister challenged.

“I know she love me. I love Kyou-chan too. What's your problem with that?” Tomoya demanded with a glare.

“You don't act like you love her. As soon as you're married, you rush off to work on rescuing your last wife. You're so single-mindedly focused on bringing her back that you haven't thought about what that will mean, have you?” the Minister returned Tomoya's glare with his own demand for an answer.

“What… what do you mean?” Tomoya didn't follow the Minister's question. _Baka, I know what it would mean… it would mean Kotomi is back with us where she belongs!_

“If you get Kotomi-chan back…” the Minister started.

“ _When_ we get her back!” Tomoya challenged.

“Whatever! What then? She's been declared dead, but that can be rectified. What can't be easily fixed is that she will no longer be married to you. What is your plan then, huh? Will you cast the Fujibayashi girl aside and remarry your precious Kotomi? Will Kotomi have to accept that she is no longer your wife? What is your plan, Okazaki-san?” the Minister seemed positively livid.

Many of the guests in the restaurant wondered if they should leave and worried that the two men at the table might break out into a fistfight at any moment. But that point in time passed as the younger man at the table seemed to crumple back into his seat.

 _What will I do?_ It suddenly hit Tomoya that he had not thought that far ahead after all. His focus had entirely been to get Kotomi back. He had not considered what would happen after that. And, now that the minister had pointed it out, he realized that there was no outcome that would be fair to Kyou. Unintentionally speaking aloud, he softly said, “This is completely unfair to Kyou. What… what should I do?”

“The fact that you realize it, gives me hope for you.” the Minister conceded.

“Okazaki-san… do not be too concerned about it now. You have plenty of time to think of these things. And, fortunately for you, the New Komeito Party is full of priests and clergy. If it is ethical guidance you seek, I can promise you a limitless supply of counselors.” the Secretary said sympathetically.

 

**Wednesday night, December 22, 2010 – Ichinose House**

* * *

Kyou wanted to relax in the big bath. The day was finally over, and with it – the end of the semester and the beginning of the winter break. She wanted to relax. She needed to relax. But, try as she might, she could not get over the loneliness and feeling of guilt that had been growing since her wedding day.

She still couldn't forgive herself for jumping at the opportunity to marry Tomoya before the ink was dry on Kotomi's death certificate. Figuratively, of course. But still, even it had been Kotomi's wishes… it didn't feel right to her. And… she worried that it didn't feel right to others either. From other teachers and from some of the parents at the school, she had heard that some people were even wondering if there had really been an accident at all and that the quick marriage had been a little too quick.

Kyou didn't let any of that kind of talk bother her… much. But she did worry how it might hurt the children. Here, at home where it was safe, she knew they wouldn't hear such vile rumors. But on the school-grounds, and in town…

“KYAAAAAA!” Kyou shrieked when she felt a hand suddenly touch her bare shoulder. Her reactions kicked in and she leaped into the air and spun around to see what or who had surprised her. She briefly caught a glimpse of a startled Tomoya just as she lost her footing in the huge bath and fell into the pool of hot water.

Tomoya had called her name several times and worried that she had fallen asleep in the bath. Her spastic reaction had indeed startled him, but her ungraceful fall into the water followed by her looking like a startled wet cat while spluttering and gasping as she emerged from the bath… was too much.

Kyou wiped the water from her eyes and saw Tomoya bent over with laughter. His hands were on his knees and he was laughing so hard his back was shaking. At first, she was furious that he was laughing at her, but there was something else that gave her pause.

He was laughing.

Kyou realized that she hadn't heard him laugh for a long time, and it was a good sound. One that she realized that she really liked to hear, and had been sorely missing. Still humiliated that she was the reason for his merriment, she looked away… and right into a mirror. _Dammit… I really do look like a half drowned cat._ She started to fix her hair in annoyance, but even that didn't last. Tomoya's laughter wasn't insulting, and it _was_ infectious. She soon found herself laughing along with him.

“You… you looked like a wet cat!” Tomoya gasped toward the end of his long fit of laughter. He had entered the big bath and was close to Kyou again now.

“I know. But you didn't have to laugh at me, you big dummy! It wasn't funny.” Kyou retorted while trying to suppress her own giggles.

“Then why are you laughing?” Tomoya asked as he put his hands on Kyou to help steady her.

“I… I don't know. I just…” Kyou stopped when she felt his lips on her own. For the briefest moment, she thought about drawing back… but she needed this. She needed to feel the passion she had not felt since Kotomi's disappearance. She needed to be scalded by his arms that wrapped around her back, burned by the lips that kissed her face, and set ablaze by his body as the two of them came together.

 _I'm sorry Kotomi, but I need this!_ Both of them thought as they gave themselves over to the sensuous pleasure of each other’s touch.

But, they would later realize that if Kotomi had been there – or known about their evening of passion, there would have been no need for any apology. In fact, an apology would only have confused her. To Kotomi, the concept of love was not so difficult a thing as understanding people and their sometimes incomprehensible reactions to such a simple emotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> _**Gomen'nasai**_ : Japanese for “I’m sorry.”
> 
>  **Kyou-sensei** **:** Kyou the teacher. Yuki calls her this all day at the school where they work since she is the principal teacher in the program.
> 
>  **New Komeito Party :** A political party in Japan
> 
>  **Onii-san** **:** Big brother. Yuki occasionally calls Tomoya her big brother in a reflection of her wish that she had known her cousin since childhood. Having lived under the same roof with him since their return from America, she is finally feeling that closeness she had yearned for.
> 
>   
> 


	2. Let It Snow

**Thursday early afternoon, December 23 2010 – The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Nagisa had been working in the bakery all morning and was bored. Several of her friends had come over and greeted her, but were soon invited into the attached residence by her mom or dad. She had asked her mother a few times if she could trade and go see her friends for a bit, but her mother insisted that she stay in the bakery while they finished the holiday decorations. By the time the afternoon rolled around, Nagisa’s face had molded into a pout about being left out of the fun.

“All right, let’s pack everything away and call it a day.” Akio’s voice boomed as he entered the bakery.

“We’re closing early?” Nagisa was a little surprised. After all, they still had almost a dozen Christmas cakes they hadn’t sold yet.

“Well yeah, it’s a special day after all.” Akio said cheerfully as he pulled the metal shutters down over the shop entrance and started putting things away.

“Yeah… I guess you got the Christmas tree up and everything.” Nagisa asked with a touch of sadness in her voice. She actually enjoyed putting up the holiday decorations. Putting the sparkly ornaments on the tree was one of her favorite parts of the winter break.

“Hmm… yeah, something like that. Hey, I can finish this up later. Let’s go on in now.” Akio put his hand on Nagisa’s back and gave her a little push toward the door.

“Oh, okay.” Nagisa walked through the curtained entrance into the residence to be greeted by a thunderous shout.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” a dozen voices yelled at her. Party Poppers exploded around her followed by confetti and streamers falling all over her head and shoulders. The shock made her back up towards the bakery she had just come from, but her father was right behind her and he wasn’t budging.

“What? What’s going on?” The initial scare was becoming happiness as she realized what her friends and family had been up to, but it was still more than her mind could handle all at once.

“This is my fault, Nagisa-chan.” Kyou admitted, but seemed proud of her complicity. “I always thought it was unfair that you had to share your birthday with a big holiday, so this time… you don’t have to!”

“Huh?” _But, it’s not my birthday yet._ Nagisa looked around. Only now did she notice that all the decorations were ‘Happy Birthday’ themed and there was nothing Christmassy up at all. After so many years of seeing the green, red, silver, and gold decorations at the time of her birthday, it felt like something was missing. “Where… where is the Christmas tree?”

“I’m afraid that is my doing.” Tomoya’s grandmother, Shino was there with Tomoya’s father and the rest of the Okazaki clan that lived in the area.

“Huh?” Nagisa hadn’t met Tomoya’s father or grandmother but a few times and wondered what this was all about.

“As a special gift for the season, I would like to invite all of you to come to Hokkaido for the holiday. At the place where you will be staying, it is already snowing, so I can promise you a White Christmas.” Shino said to the room, then turned to Nagisa and admitted to her, “Actually Nagisa-chan, most everyone else already knows about this. It was kept a secret from you so that we could throw you this splendid birthday party.”

“Oh… a White Christmas? Really? Will… will there be a Christmas tree?” Nagisa’s anticipation was palpable.

“Yes dear, it is already set up. But it is not yet decorated. I don’t suppose you might be interested in helping out with that?” Shino kindly asked the excited young woman.

“Yes!” Nagisa chirped with unabashed joy. She had forgotten her initial sorrow from the missing Christmas decorations and was becoming very excited. Suddenly remembering the other important things in her life, she turned to Ryou and her parents and asked, “You can go too, can’t you?”

“I already arranged for someone else to take my shifts at the hospital.” Ryou replied with a smile. She couldn’t help but feel giddy herself. She liked the idea of having a White Christmas too, but it was the childlike delight that Nagisa was radiating now that made Ryou truly happy.

“We’ve arranged for someone else to take over the bakery until we get back, so we’re good to go too.” Akio told Nagisa. He didn’t mention that it would be Tomoyo and her boys that would be working in the bakery though. Akio had made the arrangements alone and wouldn’t be revealing that little secret until the last possible moment. After all, Sanae was still extremely thrilled with any chance that she got to work in the bakery with the platinum blond. If she knew that Tomoyo would be working at the bakery for a week, she would be torn between the two desires to either be with her family in Hokkaido, or baking with Tomoyo.

“I got the time off too, but I’m worried if there will be enough room.” Youhei asked as he looked at the room full of people that would be going.

“Are you sure you don’t need us to rent a nearby hotel room? Yukine asked.

“Thanks to Tomoya, I have been able to get repairs done on an old property. It still doesn’t have modern conveniences, like internet or cell service, but it is big enough for everyone.” Shino told them. She also wanted to credit her grandson for his help in getting the needed repairs done on the place.

“It’s actually a failed resort” Naoyuki explained. “Although it didn’t work out, I thought it was a good idea. There used to be horses that you could ride and it is up in the hills where it is peaceful. With the hot springs there…”

“Hot springs!” several excited voices blurted out.

“Oh, I didn’t want to mention that.” Shino said apologetically, “There are some natural hot springs on the premises, but those facilities haven’t been repaired yet and… they may never be. Even if we could afford to have the repairs done, it would take a lot of money just to keep it running.”

As she had feared, once the hot spring had been mentioned, telling everyone it wasn’t operable just soured the mood.

“Onsen or not, I was sold when you said White Christmas.” Akio chortled amidst the disappointment in the room. “This will be our first Christmas with Ushio and I want to knock it out of the park!”

“Knock what out of the park?” Tomoya wondered.

“Yes, me too!” Nagisa and Ushio both cheered. Turning to each other, Nagisa scooped up the little girl in her arms gave her a warm hug.

“Wait, you know what he’s talking about?” Tomoya asked Nagisa but she was getting wrapped up in the excitement of the trip again.

“When are we leaving?” Nagisa was now looking forward to the trip so much that she had forgotten about her own birthday party. She was ready to go start packing now.

“We don’t have to leave for a few more hours yet.” Sanae said calmly. “We still have time for your birthday party before we have to head out for the train station.”

“Oh right! My birthday party!” Nagisa blushed when she noticed that everyone was looking at her. She felt Ryou’s arm around her waist as the buxom lavender haired girl moved up behind her.

“My special birthday present to you… we’ll have our own room on the ferry.” Ryou said quietly in Nagisa’s ear.

“Eh?” Still holding little Ushio in her arms and facing her family and friends, Nagisa’s blush deepened as she realized what Ryou’s quiet comment implied.

 

**Thursday late night, December 23 2010 – The Hachinohe-Tomakomai Ferry**

* * *

The Tohoku Shinkansen made quick time from Tokyo to Hachinohe. Some day, the bullet train would go through an undersea tunnel and connect the main island of Honshu with the northern-most prefecture, Hokkaido. But, even after that amazing achievement, the port city of Tomakomai would still be closer to the Okazaki's destination. So, when traveling in a large group, and if time is not critical, the comfortable ferry boats from Hachinohe to Tomakomai was Okazaki Shino’s favorite way to make the trip.

One of the things that makes the Silver Ferry so comfortable is the option for private rooms. The default accommodations are for large, open areas of floor where futons are pulled out and everyone sleeps in the same room. But there were also two and four person rooms available as well. The nicest of these options is the two person Mezzanine rooms with western style beds. The room has it’s own private bathroom and windows that overlook the sea.

The Okazaki group was split up a little bit since a few of them were staying in two of the nicer Mezzanine rooms while everyone else was on a different deck in several of the four person Japanese style rooms. At the moment, it was primarily the grandparents that were watching the young children. Okazaki Shino, Okazaki Naoyuki, and Koumura Toshio were currently watching the Okazaki children as well as Yoshino Maiko and Sunohara Yoichi. Maiko was the only one in that bunch that might become a problem, but she was usually on her best behavior when she was around the Okazaki boys. Sanae and Akio watched over Ushio and Yoshino Yasuo – the two youngest of the children. Yasuo was nervous without his favorite Aunt with him, but Fuko had chosen not to come on this trip. Desperately wanting to be seen as an adult, she chose to stay behind and work alongside Tomoyo at the Furukawa Bakery to develop her baking skills.

That left little Yasuo fidgeting and feeling increasingly uncomfortable as they traveled farther and farther from home.

“Are you scared?” Yasuo asked Ushio as she gazed out the window at the bright stars over the dark sea.

“Uh-uh.” Ushio answered without taking her eyes away from the amazing starscape.

“Why not?” Yasuo asked. He had been looking out the window for a while, but the big emptiness only intensified his feelings of loneliness.

“What’s there to be scared of?” Ushio asked after finally looking away from the big window.

“We… we’re going so far from home.” Yasuo said that, instead of admitting that he missed his Obachan Fuko… or his mommy.

“We’re just going to my grandmother’s house. And besides… everyone I know is with me!” Ushio smiled. She wasn’t trying to be mean. It really did make her happy when she realized how many of her family and friends were with her on this trip. Unfortunately, a four or five year old rarely thinks of how their reply will affect the other person.

“I… I don’t have anyone.” Yasuo said desperately. _I don’t have anyone with me!_ Ushio’s reply had driven the point home that he was on this trip without his mother or father or… Obachan Fuko. The tears were starting to come unbidden to his eyes when Ushio’s innocent reply startled him.

“You have me.” Ushio said as if reminding someone that they already had their shoes on.

“Ushio… chan.” Yasuo was looking at Ushio now as if she had suddenly sprouted white feathery wings and revealed a halo.

Ushio seemed thoughtful for a moment while thinking about the other people on the trip that Yasuo should know, “… and your sister.”

“Huh?” all images of angels fell from Yasuo’s imagination when he was reminded of his older sister.

“Your sister is on this trip too.” Ushio said helpfully.

“Uh… yeah.” Yasuo admitted that his onee-san was there. And… she _had_ become nicer to him in the last several months, but he was still too close to the memories of her picking on him and teasing him ruthlessly all the rest of his life.

“Shuichi-kun and Shuji-kun always play with you nice, don’t they?” Ushio asked.

“Yeah… they are nice to me.” Yasuo admitted. He also got along well with Okazaki Michiko and Sunohara Yoichi. But that wasn’t the real problem – and it was a problem that he didn’t feel like he could talk to Ushio about either. He was missing an adult that he could feel comfortable with. At a little over four and a half years old, he still liked to be picked up into somebody’s lap when he felt tired and sleepy. His mother would do that sometimes, but it was Obasan Fuko that seemed to always be there for him. She was smaller than his mother… she was smaller than all the other adults – but even so, she was always ready to swoop down on him at the first sign of sleepiness and pull him into her comforting arms. He awoke from most of his naps either in her lap or her sleeping embrace. Some day, that story would embarrass him, but to the little boy of now, it was still a comfort he yearned for.

Sanae had been watching the two and knew it was late for both of them. Kouko had warned her that her son might get a little home-sick. Or rather… _Fuko_ -sick. Kouko had told Sanae how much Fuko liked to dote on her nephew and how solid their bond was. So Sanae knew that this would be the first time they would be separated from each other for this much time and distance, since Fuko had awoken from her coma.

It would have been nice if at least one of the three adults in Yasuo's life could have come on the trip, but it simply wasn’t possible. As an electrician, Yusuke would be very busy for a while. From the onset of winter to the first hard freeze was one of the busiest times of the year for his trade. Fuko was doing a lot better with her physical therapy and rebuilding her endurance and strength – but she wasn’t there yet. She could tire out quickly and sometimes unexpectedly, and was still dependent on her big sister Kouko’s help during those times.  
That left Yasuo feeling alone on this trip, but it wasn’t so. He was surrounded by people that cared for him and Sanae knew just how to make him aware of that.  
“Yasuo, can you come over here?” Sanae asked sweetly.

“Yes.” Yasuo got down out of the chair near the big window and went over to where Obasan Sanae had her futon spread out on the floor.

Ushio recognized the meaning of Obāsan Sanae’s tone, and looked over at Akio. He was looking back at her with the expression that confirmed her question without any words spoken. She was still too young to ponder the question of how different and similar the Akio from her original universe was - to the Akio in this universe. To her, Ojiisan Akio was happier now – but so was she. Ushio only had ever seen pictures of her mother. Her father had died when she was very young. She did remember crying for several days after Obāsan Sanae was gone from their lives. They were all miraculously back now, but _he_ was the one that had always been there for her. To Ushio, there was no break between the Ojiisan Akio of her original universe and the Ojiisan Akio she knew now. Her young mind hadn’t yet grasped that he was a different person who had no memories of their past together. She only knew that he was the same loving grandfather that had always taken care of her and loved her.

Without a word, she got down from her chair and crawled into Akio’s lap. Quickly closing her eyes, she started to fall asleep in her cherished place. It was a ritual she was familiar with, and one that helped her to fall into a peaceful sleep – no matter how chaotic and cruel the world might be. When she felt him pull a sheet or a blanket up around her and gently pat her head or rub her back, she knew she would have only dreams and no nightmares. One of her small hands would clung to the collar of his pajamas while a thumb from the other hand slid into her mouth. She wasn’t sucking on her thumb as much as she did when she first arrived, but it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence either.

The first time Ushio had crawled into Akio’s lap, he had almost gone into shock. But, there was also an overwhelming feeling of acceptance and even righteousness to this. Not quite déjà vu, but there was a sense that this was _supposed_ to happen and, once it had – he was asking himself why he had never felt like something had been missing from his life until then.

_MINE!_

That had been the overwhelming emotion that had possessed him after only their first meeting. Even though Akio didn’t have the history with Ushio that she felt like she had with him, his acceptance was complete. Others may think of her as ‘adopted’, but to Akio, this little girl was his granddaughter pure and simple. And, to his recollection, there were few joys in life more satisfying than holding her safe in his arms.

Yasuo watched the natural comfort that existed between Ushio and her grandfather and that made him want for his Obachan Fuko even more. But Sanae wasn’t ready to let the little boy go to sleep with tears in his eyes.

“Yasuo, I would like to sing you a song while you go to sleep. Would you like that?” Sanae asked as she pulled the boy close to the warmth of her body and rested his head on her arm.

“Yes.” Yasuo liked that a lot. His father and mother liked to sing lullabies too. Obachan Fuko tried to do it several times but always got frustrated when she couldn’t remember the lyrics to the song she was singing. The memory of her making him laugh with her antics brought a bittersweet smile to his face. The smile became happier when he recognized the song Sanae was singing. He had asked his mother about it once, since she liked to sing it so much. It was a silly song about strangely colored submarines that his Okāsan had learned while listening to some musical beetles. He went to sleep wondering if the same strange insects had sung the song to Obāsan Sanae as well.

 

* * *

Sugisaka fidgeted while sitting on her bunk bed. She hadn't been on one of these things in a long time. Her group was supposed to be getting a Japanese style, four person room like the other groups, but this room was fitted out with four narrow bunk beds, and it seemed like it was much… smaller. It didn’t bother her that much, and it didn’t seem to be bothering Yuki or Yukine either. But Youhei, the fourth person in their shared room, seemed very agitated. He hadn't complained about the room, but there was something else that could be annoying Sunohara Youhei… and that _did_ bother Sugisaka.

Like Fujibayashi Kyou, Sunohara Youhei also knew about Sugisaka's checkered past. Also like Kyou, he had wanted to demand Sugisaka's expulsion from school when he confronted her about the threatening letter she had sent to Furukawa Nagisa. That act of bullying a senpai had been the most singularly regrettable thing she had ever done and she still carried the memory of it – and the guilt. But it had at least taught her a valuable lesson. She had not thought her actions through well enough. And what she did think through, she got wrong. She hadn’t anticipated that the Drama Club was really so meaningful to the one senior that was fighting for it. It was known that the Furukawa girl was a repeater, so Sugisaka hadn’t counted on her having so many friends either. And of the friends she had, Sugisaka hadn’t anticipated that they would be so powerful… or dangerous.

Sunohara Youhei was someone she had grossly underestimated. She didn’t know he felt so strongly about either the Drama Club or about Furukawa Nagisa – and she had written him off as a loudmouth delinquent. Given a thousand years, she didn’t think he was the kind of person to be able to trace the threatening message back to her. Even after he did, she thought it was just an idiot’s luck… until he singlehandedly created the investigative arm of the high school's Disciplinary Committee. Recalling that dark day when she was confronted for her bullying, Sugisaka remembered that Sunohara had wanted to beat her up or get her kicked out of school. No, that wasn’t right… he had wanted to beat her up _and_ have her kicked out of school. But Furukawa had stopped him. Indeed, the weak chestnut haired senpai had stopped both Sunohara and Fujibayashi from exacting any revenge on her. She was grateful for that, since either of them could have beaten her into an unrecognizable mess.

And yet, getting beaten up would have been fine if that had been the scariest thing that had happened to her that day. But no… Fujibayashi Kyou suddenly manifested a demonic presence and, for a moment, Sugisaka was certain the lavender haired senior was going to rip her soul from her living body and cast it into the fires of hell. The fright of that moment had been embedded into her DNA. To this day, she was still scared of that woman.

But Nagisa had saved her and things were quite different now… in some ways. Since their high school years, Youhei had become a detective in the local police department and Kyou was now married to the school’s other leading delinquent… who was now a lawyer… and had three beautiful children.

And where had the fates and the paths of her life taken Sugisaka? Impossibly, she was now working for Fujibayashi Kyou as a maid and nanny to the three aforementioned children. And just now she found herself in an arrangement where she was sleeping in the same small room with Sunohara Youhei. Sometimes the grotesque unfairness of life seemed like it was too much to bear. But Sugisaka had to admit that the unfortunate moments in her life were often the results of her own doings. And reluctantly she also had to admit that working for Fujibayashi Kyou… now Okazaki Kyou, had been far more pleasant than she had imagined… even if she was still scared of the lavender haired woman.

But the problem now wasn’t Kyou. The problem was an irate Sunohara Youhei. He was lying down in the top bunk above his wife and across from Sugisaka, and he was positively fuming. Finally, Sugisaka couldn’t take any more.

“I apologize, Sunohara-san. I will go and see if Koumura-san will be willing to trade with me for tonight.” Sugisaka offered. Koumura was in one of the Japanese style four person rooms with the Okazaki boys and Yoshino Maiko.

“Hah? What good would that do?” Youhei barked at her.

“Youhei!” Yukine had known of her husband’s sour mood but that was no excuse for such a display of unpleasantness.

“It is obvious that you detest being in my presence. I suppose it is… understandable.” Sugisaka said apologetically.

“What?” the other three in the room chorused. Yuki and Yukine were stunned but Youhei was incredulous at hearing Sugisaka say such a thing.

“Why would you say that?” Youhei demanded.

“Please Sunohara-san, do not try to deny it. I can feel your anger even now.” Sugisaka said.

“Yu-kun, tell her that is not true!” Yukine called out to her husband from the bunk below his.

“No… she’s right about me being angry.” Youhei admitted, but also corrected, “I am angry that we ended up in these ridiculous bunk beds. I can’t sleep well if I don’t feel Yu-chan next to me. But you… you have nothing to do with it.”

“Seriously?” Sugisaka found it hard to believe what he was saying, but from the tone of his voice and the expression on his face, it seemed that he was being truthful with her. _Surely that can’t be right? What are you, a child? Did you miss out on an important part of growing up, or what?_ Sugisaka was about to blast him for his childish behavior when she heard Yukine’s plaintive comment.

“I don’t sleep very well when I’m not next to Yu-kun either.”

 

* * *

“You’re terrible!” Kyou chided Tomoya as soon as they were in the privacy of their own room.

“What?” Tomoya looked at his wife in surprise. She had been fairly quiet ever since Nagisa's birthday party, so whatever infraction he had done must be pretty severe for her to speak up now.

“You _know_ I’m still having trouble with… this.” Kyou struggled to admit it out loud.

“With what?” Tomoya asked. He did have an idea what it was that was bothering Kyou so much but he needed her to say it out loud… for her own good.

“This… THIS!” Kyou flapped her arms as if she was indicating the whole room.

“What? Ferries in general or… private staterooms? What?” Tomoya pushed.

“Sleeping with you!” Kyou had to close her eyes and ball her hands into fists, but she was finally able to get it out.

“But, you sleep with me at home?” Tomoya countered.

“I know… but it’s different there. I slept with you there when Kotomi was around because… she wanted it that way.” Kyou stumbled over her words as she tried to make sense of her feelings.

“So, you never wanted to sleep in the same room… or in the same bed with me, except to please Kotomi?” Tomoya asked.

“No. I mean… wait! Augh, this is so aggravating!” a flustered Kyou took a deep breath and tried to clear up at least what she had just made more confusing. “I did want to sleep… with you. But, I wouldn’t have if… if…”

“If Kotomi hadn’t pulled you in.” Tomoya finished for her. She had come most of the way and he didn’t want her to torture herself unnecessarily.

“Yeah.” Kyou said with relief.

“She pulled me in too.” Tomoya admitted. Then he asked, “But we are married to each other now and we do sleep in the same room at home. So, what is it that’s bothering you now?”

“It’s just… Kotomi’s not really dead. I know that, and you know that. I just feel like… we’re doing something wrong… to Kotomi.” Kyou looked down at her hands, unable to meet Tomoya’s gaze.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. And yet… when I honestly think about what Kotomi would say if she could…” Tomoya started.

“… she would be encouraging us. She wouldn’t understand my reluctance at all.” Kyou finished. Looking back up at Tomoya, she asked, “So, you’ve been feeling that way too?”

“Yeah. I’ve given it a lot of thought and it’s just your basic guilt. We are feeling guilty that we are screwing over someone important to us. But it’s all wrong.” Tomoya aired out his own muddled feelings.

“Why do you sound so confused? Of course, this is wrong.” Kyou demanded while wrapping herself in her own arms.

“No… That's not what I mean. What we are _doing_ isn’t wrong. What we are _feeling_ is wrong.” Tomoya could see Kyou's confusion and further explained, “The guilt is coming from our own feelings – our values of right and wrong, but that’s not right. We should be thinking of what the alleged wronged individual would think of as right and wrong… or good and bad.”

“Kotomi?” Kyou said to verify who Tomoya was calling the ‘alleged wronged individual’ in his explanation.

“Yes.” Tomoya confirmed, but he didn’t say any more about it. He had already had this argument in his mind and had come to his own conclusions. Now, it would be Kyou’s turn. She would have to rationalize her own feelings against what she knew to be Kotomi’s wishes. Tomoya knew that Kyou was a smart person. Both of the Fujibayashi sisters were quite intelligent. He honestly believed she was smarter than he was, so he knew what result she would get to from a purely logical review. But logic had never been the problem. The real issue couldn’t be resolved by intellect. It was an emotional issue that would need to find solace and solution in the heart.

“If you knew… if you knew how I felt, then why did you book us a private room? Surely you knew how much something like this would… bother me.” Kyou said accusingly.

“Kyou, I didn’t… ” Tomoya said as he held out an envelope as physical evidence of what he was about to tell her, “This private room is a gift from… your parents.”

 

* * *

The lights were off in the cabin shared by Nagisa and Ryou. They were under the blanket and holding each other close while looking out the window at the vast expanse of stars over the dark water. Nagisa could feel the fullness of Ryou’s larger breasts pushing against her own. She luxuriated in the sensations of softness and warmth that emanated from Ryou.

“Do you ever wish… you could really do it?” Ryou asked in a sleepy but thoughtful voice.

“Do what?” Nagisa asked.

“Have a kid… I mean, really have a kid like Ushio.” Ryou said.

“Huh? I don’t get it Ryou. We already have Ushio.” Nagisa moved her head so she could look at Ryou under the pale starlight.

“I mean… get pregnant and actually give birth to a child that is really yours.” Ryou finally came out with what had been bothering her.

“That would be a neat trick… I mean, since we’re both girls.” Nagisa sounded surprised by the question, but not dismissive.

“That’s not what I mean.” Ryou squirmed next to Nagisa but not in an effort to move away from her. Finally she clarified her question, “What I mean is… what about you and Okazaki? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make a child with him?”

“WHAT! Why would you even ask that?” Nagisa did sound startled now.

“Well, I mean…” Ryou sounded defensive now, “Ushio is a product of you and Okazaki so… I just wanted to know if you were wondering what that might be like… for you.”

Nagisa felt a flash of anger for a moment. But the moment was over when she saw the dim starlight reflected by the wetness in Ryou’s eyes. Her anger melted away and she pulled Ryou into a firm hug until her mouth was at her girlfriend’s ear.

“I don’t think of Ushio as a product of Okazaki and me. But it’s hard for me to think about these parallel universe things too. So, the way I think about it… It’s like I had a twin sister and Okazaki had a twin brother. They got married and had Ushio. But, just because she’s my twin, I’m not exactly like her. And, the Okazaki we know didn’t fall in love with me. I fell in love with you. And the Okazaki we know fell in love with Kotomi-chan… and your sister… and maybe Sakagami-san too.”

“Snrkt!” Ryou tried to keep from laughing out loud.

“What?” Nagisa didn’t know what Ryou found so amusing but at least it was better than her being sad.

“The way you said that… it really makes Okazaki sound like a louse.” Ryou chuckled.

“I didn’t mean to! I don’t really think he’s a bad person at all.” Nagisa sounded panicky as she tried to rectify the misunderstanding.

“But, even if he isn’t a bad person, you have no interest in him… romantically. Right?” Ryou asked.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Nagisa confirmed.

“That’s a relief.” Ryou said as she snuggled back into the close hug with her girlfriend. Still, there was that niggling and annoying anxiety that she couldn’t shake. Hoping to get a quick ‘no’ from Nagisa, she asked, “So, is there any guy out there that interests you?”

“Hmmm, maybe.” Nagisa admitted.

“What?” Ryou’s eyes popped open with Nagisa’s innocently honest, but painful reply.

“I was looking at one of those manga magazines that Okāsan confiscated from one of the students at her school. In that story, the space men went to another planet where they met identical versions of themselves… except boys were girls and girls were boys.” Nagisa’s eyes closed as she tried to remember more details of the story she had read.

“Gender swapped.” Ryou offered the term for that kind of fiction.

“Yes, that’s it.” Nagisa remembered seeing that phrase on the cover of the manga. Continuing her explanation she said, “It made me wonder what would happen if Tomoyo’s explorers find a place like that. If I could meet a Ryou-kun that was exactly like you – except he is a guy… would I love him like I love you?”

Ryou was about to challenge Nagisa’s true feelings for her, until Nagisa made her next observation.

“And what if you met a Nagisa-kun that was exactly like me – except he is a guy… could you love him? Would you want to see what it is like to be held by a Nagisa-kun? To kiss a Nagisa-kun? To… make love to a Nagisa-kun?”

Ryou could tell by the sound of Nagisa’s voice that her questions were innocent and reflected only the feelings of curiosity that she had after having read the confiscated manga. But the effects her questions had on Ryou were intense. Ryou's vivid imagination quickly pictured a handsome male version of Nagisa. She saw him naked and in each other’s arms, the way she was with her Nagisa now.

 _Hugging_ _Nagisa-kun_ _._

 _Kissing_ _Nagisa-kun!_

 _Making_ _L_ _…_ _M_ _aking_ _LO_ _…_ _M_ _aking_ _LOV_ _…_

“Ryou, are you okay? You sound short of breath and you feel really warm now. Ryou? Ryou?” Nagisa’s concerns were unnecessary, and she would know that if she could see the full face blush her girlfriend was now wearing. Unfortunately, the bright red of Ryou’s blush wasn’t visible in the dim starlight.

 

**Friday afternoon, December 24 th 2010 – The Park across from the Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

It was cold in the park, even though it was already afternoon. But the five adults occupying the baseball diamond's outfield had been exerting themselves for some time and had stripped down to their t-shirts by now.

Four men were surrounding a lone platinum haired woman. They had tried various attacks to subdue her, but noting had worked so far. Individual attacks, paired attacks, and even all four at once had been unsuccessful.

“Unngh!” Hiroki grunted and went down as Tomoyo’s kick had caught him squarely in the chest. He had taken a tumble backwards and landed in a lump on the dried grass while Tomoyo used the impact to propel her nimble body toward the other two that had been rushing her from behind. She also had a lot of spin from the leap and used the momentum to complete a sweeping roundhouse kick that propelled Takeo into Takeshi – bringing them both down.

Landing on her feet, she turned to deal with Kenta… but he had his hands in a time-out gesture and wasn’t looking at Tomoyo at all. Considering giving him a wallop for his inattention anyway, she first checked to see what Kenta was looking at.

Hiroki was up on his knees, but leaning over and coughing. Tomoyo knew that a blow to the chest could knock the wind out of a lot of people so a little coughing was to be expected. _Besides, he shouldn’t be too badly hurt. I’m pulling my punches and kicks so much this barely feels like a workout._

But she hadn’t pulled her kicks enough. She saw it when he started to get up. On the white sleeve of his shirt were dozens of red speckles that could mean only one thing. As she raced toward him, she yelled out, “Call an ambulance!”

“On it, boss!” Kenta already had his phone up to his ear and was waiting for emergency services to answer.

“Lie back down and try to relax.” Tomoyo ordered as she skidded to a stop next to Hiroki.

“But…” Hiroki wanted to get up but he was still having some difficulty breathing.

“Do it now!” Tomoyo thundered. Then she almost laughed at the meek expression on the face of the most brutish looking man in the group. But laughter wouldn’t be coming just yet. She was concerned about his shortness of breath.

 

Inside the bakery, Fuko was following the instructions that Tomoyo had given her to the letter. She wanted to feel confident in her ability to follow through with everything, but it was still nice to have Ryota looking over her shoulder too. At first she thought he would just be a nuisance, but he was good at keeping her on track without taking over the work. But to Fuko, his most important characteristic was that he didn't treat her like a child.

“You should be using a smaller bowl.” Ryota suggested when he saw Fuko about to pour the batter into the large stainless steel bowl.

“Fuko is not a child!” Fuko snapped but Ryota immediately followed her up before she could say any more.

“ _I_ am not a child.” Ryota corrected.

“What?” Fuko looked up at the skinny man next to her and saw her sister in him for a moment.

“If you don't want people to think of you as a child, you shouldn't talk like that.” Ryota told the childlike but adult girl. On his own, he would have left her alone with her immature speech, but Tomoyo had asked all of The Boys to help Fuko to change that annoying habit. In truth, it had been a request from Fuko's older sister that Tomoyo relayed.

“Fine! _I_ am not a child. Fuko can handle a large bowl.” Fuko said defensively.

“ _I_ can handle a large bowl.” Ryota corrected with a smirk.

“Ah! So, even Ryota-kun is going to treat Fuko like a child?” Fuko pouted.

“I don't think of you as a child.” Ryota replied with a chuckle. She was short and she sounded like a kid with the way she talked. There wasn’t anything he could do about her being short, but if she could just stop using her own name…

“Okay… But _I_ really can handle a large bowl.” Fuko continued to pout.

“I'm not saying the bowl is too big for you. It is too big for what you are doing. Remember, you will only be making a dozen of the little cakes – not a large batch. So, a smaller bowl would be better.” Ryota said as he offered her a more appropriate bowl.

“Oh… So, why does Ryota-san know so much about baking?” Fuko asked while accepting the smaller bowl. Her pout went away when she realized the fault in her assumption about Ryota's comment.

“Kotomi-chan had suggested it. I told her that I wanted to be better with the scientific stuff on the missions. She said that the precise measurements and developing an eye for choosing the right tool for the task, were things that cooking would develop. I don't know if it really helped all that much, but I did discover that I enjoyed baking.” Ryota told the diminutive girl.

“Oh.” Fuko thought that she enjoyed this conversation. It wasn’t very exciting, but it was pleasant. She wondered if this was the way adult conversations were supposed to be.

“Boss, an ambulance is taking Tomoyo and Hiroki away!” Takeshi yelled as soon as he was back in the bakery.

“Ah!” A startled Fuko cried out as she dropped the bowl with the batter she had been working on.

“Takeshi!” Isamu hissed. Then he looked around the shop to make sure the other customers hadn’t been startled. Fortunately, they hadn’t reacted like Fuko and were only curious, but otherwise okay. “Calmly… tell me what’s goin on.”

 

Isamu arrived at the hospital and wandered the myriad halls until he found Tomoyo sitting in a waiting room with her head in her hands. He looked around and realized he was in the area where there were operating rooms. Apparently, the injury was bad enough to require a surgeon.

“Hey.” Isamu said quietly from where he stood next to his crying fiancé.

“Ah!” Tomoyo was surprised by his sudden presence. She looked up and confessed to him, “I… His lungs are punctured in three places.”

“So?” Isamu brushed aside the comment.

“So? What do you mean, so? I did that to him! I broke his ribs! I put him in the hospital! I…” Tomoyo looked like she was going to break down into more tears as her own words forced her to think about the damage she had done.

“You think this is the first time he’s been to a hospital?” Isamu caressed Tomoyo's cheek and said kindly, “This isn’t even the worst thing he’s been in the hospital for.

“I don’t believe you.” Tomoyo had never heard Hiroki talk about his past. She knew he was in a gang before, but she hadn’t heard stories about him being in any near-death experiences.

“He was mauled by dogs when he was in elementary school. In middle school, some older kids broke his arms and legs with baseball bats. And one time, he was hit by a truck.” Isamu told her.

“Ha… you need to work on your lies. Everyone know that if you get hit by a truck, you die.” Tomoyo said in disbelief.

“Nope. It’s true. That’s why he doesn’t like to get drunk any more.” Isamu insisted.

“You make him sound accident prone.” Tomoyo conceded that he might be telling the truth.

“Not many guys that end up in gangs will make it through life without ever seeing the inside of a hospital.” Isamu said as he extended his hand.

“What?” Tomoyo asked, even though she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“Let’s go get something to eat.” Isamu offered her his arm.

“But… Hiroki is in surgery.” Tomoyo objected.

“Yup, and even if he comes out in the next five minutes, it’ll be a while before he can think straight enough to know he’s got visitors.” Isamu said as he urged her toward the door.

“I… I guess.” Tomoyo wanted to object again, but with her luck, her stomach would pick that moment to announce how hungry she was with an indecent growl. And, she wasn’t willing to tempt that fate. Instead, she turned to Isamu and challenged him, “So, you’re not concerned about Hiroki at all?”

“Sure I am. But I’m worried about him for an entirely different reason.” Isamu said as he pushed the door open and led Tomoyo out into the fading light of the evening.

“What?” Tomoyo asked.

“I just hope he heals up enough to go through the gate in January. He’ll be a lot more upset about not getting to see his Nagisa again than by any silly broken ribs.” Isamu chuckled, but it was something that he really was concerned about. And now, it was something Tomoyo was concerned about too.

 

**Saturday morning, December 25 th 2010 – The Okazaki home in Hokkaido**

* * *

It was just as Tomoya’s Obāsan had predicted. There was snow on everything. The fields were covered with it, the trees were frosted with it, and the steep roof looked like it had a thick layer of meringue all over it’s top. Inside the mountain cottage, there was a fireplace crackling and the place was busy with mothers and grandmothers making breakfast while the fathers and grandfathers donned their winter clothes and prepared to get a few chores done. Soon, they were all outside tromping through the half meter thick snow to get to the utility shed.

“Wow! I have never seen so much snow in my life!” Sunohara exclaimed as he struggled to keep up with the others through the knee deep mess.

“Oh yeah. It can get pretty thick in Hokkaido.” Naoyuki replied. Having grown up in these parts, it brought back a lot of memories for him.

“So, what is it you need help with?” Akio asked as they approached the shed.

“We need to get the snow off the roof. It isn’t too much now, but if it snows again tonight… or before this load melts off, the weight of it could cause some damage.” Tomoya's father explained to the other three. But, instead of getting the door to the shed open, he went along the side of the out-building and pulled a tool off some hooks from the outside wall. The tool looked like a long pole with a curved, flat blade at the end.

“I can show you how this tool is used on this shed, but the roof on the cottage is much higher and I just don’t have the strength for it any more.” Naoyuki explained.

“It’s okay pops, we’ll help out.” Tomoya promised the old man.

“Thanks, Tomoya.” his father managed a weak smile then raised the tool’s metal blade towards the roof line. “You need to slip the blade…”

 

Inside the house, Koumura was walking through the living room with a cup of hot tea both to drink and to bring warmth to his hands. He happened to glance out the window and saw the four men over at the shed just as Naoyuki slipped the tool up under the accumulated snow, wiggled it about, then stood back as most of it slowly fell from it’s sloped perch.

He was just thinking that they shouldn’t try the same thing with the house since the roof was much steeper – when he saw Naoyuki focusing the other’s attention by pointing up to the house’s roof line. He thought about stepping outside to warn them, but he then realized what the old man was up to.

“Sugisaka, a moment please?” he called out to the young maid that had come along on this trip with the Okazaki family.

“Koumura-san?” she replied as she approached with little Yasuo holding onto her hand.

“Please bring all of the children into this room as quickly as you can. I believe we are in for some entertainment.” Koumura reached out for little Yasuo so that Sugisaka could move faster, “Young Master Yasuo and I will get the ladies.”

Yasuo didn’t know what was going on, but he was as comfortable with Ojisan as he was with Sugi-chan. So he took Koumura’s hand and soon found himself on his way to the resort cottage’s vast kitchen.

It was a purely honorary title that all of the children called the retired teacher ‘Ojisan’ but Koumura enjoyed that title more from these delightful children than he had ever cared for being called ‘Sensei’ by thousands of high school students.

“I don’t suppose you ladies are at a point where you can step away from your cooking for a few moments?” Koumura asked politely.

“Sensei? What’s going on?” Kyou was one of the ones that had found it impossible to call him anything other than Sensei, even after he had been in their employ for over half a decade.

“I may be wrong, but I believe Naoyuki-san is arranging some entertainment for us.” Koumura said with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh? This should be interesting.” Shino lowered the temperature under a pot and covered it so she could step away.

“I’ll just stay in the kitchen.” Sanae was a little concerned about the food, and she could always see the entertainment later…

Nagisa and Ryou were also thinking about turning down the invitation.

“Your husband is involved.” Koumura taunted.

“Akio? Oh…” Sanae glanced at Nagisa’s innocent expression and suddenly decided that she simply must see this with her daughter. “I’ll be right there. Come along Nagisa!”

 

Naoyuki put his hand on Akio’s shoulder to stop him as Tomoya and Youhei approached the snow buried eaves of the roof. Akio turned back and looked at him questioningly.

“This is something we should leave to the young.” Naoyuki said sagely.

“I’m not that old!” Akio shook off the hand and tried to move quickly through the snow to catch up with the other two.

“Suit yourself.” Naoyuki smiled. _Don’t say I didn’t warn you._

“I think it goes like this.” Tomoya raised the pole and touched the blade to the eave in front of the big living room window. Both Youhei and Akio were looking up at the edge of the roof and didn’t notice that on the other side of that big window, everyone in the cottage had been gathered together to watch _the show_.

“No… I think it goes like this…” Akio took the tool and tried his luck against the thick pile of stubborn snow.

 

“What’s going to happen Okāsan?” Michiko asked Kyou.

“I don’t know. It looks like they’re trying to… EEEK!” Kyou’s sentence ended in a shriek, but it blended in with everyone else’s when they saw three men suddenly disappear in an avalanche of snow. And then, it was followed by a burst of laughter.

The steeper slope of the cottage roof meant that the snow would fall quickly as soon as it started to come down. And quickly was how it fell. None of the three that were standing in the path of that avalanche had a chance to jump or dodge. In less than two seconds, they were all buried to the point that the only thing sticking out of the snow was the long pole.

Naoyuki chuckled as he got close enough to pull the pole out of the snow bank. Then he went around the cottage and prodded the snow from safe angles to make more of the avalanches… that wouldn’t end up falling on him.

“Kyou-chan, if it is okay with you, I’ll take your place in the kitchen while you pull your frozen husband out of the snow.” Koumura said through a mirthful smile.

“You’ll be taking our places too!” Sanae said as she and Yukine were quickly donning their winter coats and boots.

 

“Wha… what the hell?” Tomoya gasped as he climbed out of the snowbank with Kyou’s help.

But Kyou was in no condition to answer him. Even as she helped him get to his feet, she was still laughing at the hilarity of the joke that Naoyuki had played on all three of them.

“What? What are you laughing at?” Tomoya demanded as he shook snow out of his hair.

“We… we were all on the other side of the window. We watched the whole thing. Your father turned you all into snowmen! It was so funny… it was priceless!”

“Oh? You think that was funny, huh?” Tomoya quickly shoved a huge wad of snow up inside Kyou’s shirt and smacked it so that the frozen water spread out across her whole back.

“EEEEEEEAAGH!” Kyou’s laughter instantly turned to a scream as she struggled away from Tomoya to shake the snow out of her clothing.

“Hah hah hah!” Now Tomoya was laughing at Kyou, but that didn’t last long. A precisely aimed snowball had splattered over his face and partially filled his open mouth. After spluttering the snow out of his mouth and wiping the snow off his face, he picked up a snowball of his own and menacingly said, “Oh… now you’re gonna get it!”

Soon, the children were laughing at the funny antics of their parents and grandparents outside the window. They begged Sugisaka to let them go out in the snow too, but she was firm that they had to have their breakfast first. Then, it would be play time.

 


	3. Finding Happiness

**Saturday evening, December 25 2010 – The Okazaki home in Hokkaido**

* * *

Most of the presents that had been given were of the activities nature since physical gifts would have to be lugged home over boat and train when they got to the end of their stay. But that had been fine with the kids. Getting to play in the thick snow and their first experience with sledding down a hill had thrilled all of them. And exhausted them.

By the time the sun was going down, the children were exhausted and ready for bed. Many of the adults were pretty tired as well. Although they didn’t have the massive energy reserves that the children had, getting through the snow had been a lot easier for the adult’s longer legs. So, this was one of the rare occasions when the children were more wiped out than the adults.

Naoyuki had come out to watch and take pictures, but hadn’t been pulling sleds full of children up a hill all day like his son, or any of the other parents. But it did remind him of a time long ago… He had visited this place with a very young Tomoya and done these same things once. In fact, one of the old wooden sleds that they used this afternoon, had been one that he had used with Tomoya… once upon a time. Naoyuki also remembered bringing Tomoya out to look at the vast sea of stars on a long forgotten cold winter night. But, he doubted that his son remembered any of it though. He had been quite young at the time. But for Naoyuki the father, and now grandfather – those memories came back to him on this quiet night.

The gibbous moon cast a pale light that the snow covered landscape softly reflected. The snow covered fields, hills, and trees all seemed to glow in the quiet and cloudless night. It was a stark, monochromatic glow. But it wasn’t so harsh that it washed out the brilliant starscape that filled the heavens overhead. That was something Naoyuki had missed after he had moved to the city. On a night like this, it felt like he could see all the way to… forever. On the horizon, a movement caught his eye of something not in the spectrum of moonlight. Brighter lights that were too yellow and dimmer lights that were too red… seemed wrong in this picture.

The lights were far away, but getting closer. Of course they would. This was the only place to go on the old road. For a moment, he wondered if someone was lost… but the car was driving far to deliberately for a person that doubted their surroundings. That meant there could only be one person it could be… probably. Just in case it was her, he reached into his pocket to make sure he had the keys to his car.

Minutes later, the car came sliding to a stop in front of the house. Fortunately, it was a wide circle drive so that the headlights were blaring off into the field instead of invading the peacefulness of the house behind him. Naoyuki was mildly surprised when three doors opened and two men got out of the car, along with his sister.

“Good evening.” Naoyuki said evenly. The three stopped their advance on the house in a start. Apparently, they hadn’t been aware that he had been standing there.

“Feh!” the older of the two men spit on the ground when he saw who it was.

“Naoyuki.” the woman sounded like she wanted to spit as well.

“Hello.” Naoyuki replied without any emotion.

“Hunh… aren’t you going to call me by my name?” the woman taunted.

“No.” Naoyuki said simply.

“What? I don’t need to stand out in the cold and be insulted by the likes of you!” the woman demanded.

“I didn’t insult you. I am only complying with your wishes.” Naoyuki said patiently.

“When did I ever say that I don’t want to be called by my name?” the woman sneered.

“I am dead to you. I never existed… to you. You never want to have anything to do with me again. As far as I am to be concerned, I am not to think of you as family or even an acquaintance. For the rest of our lives, we will only be… strangers.” Naoyuki paraphrased what his sister had told him when his family had sent him away.

“You bastard.” the woman said through clenched teeth.

“You can insult me all you want, but please leave mother and my son out of any of your anger towards me.” Naoyuki told his sister.

“So that worthless son of yours is here too? I never agreed to let him come out here. This place is for family. Our family! A family you’re not part of anymore.” the woman yelled.

“Please keep your voice down. Children may be asleep inside.” Naoyuki said.

“Screw you!” she shouted, “and the brats can all wake up for all I care! We’re going inside.” She and the two men started to move toward the steps.

“No.” Naoyuki told them as he gestured at the two men that were with his sister, “As you said, this place is for family. I can’t stop _you_ from going inside, but _they_ are not welcome here.”

“You don’t get to decide who is and who isn’t welcome here.” the woman sneered.

“Today, I do.” Naoyuki replied. He was determined to stand his ground, even if it came to blows.

“Oh really?” the woman put a hand on the larger man’s shoulder and told him, “Be a darlin and go kick that pathetic old man’s ass for me. Don’t hold back. I don’t care if you break him.”

The large man looked up the stairs with a feral grin as he punched a gloved fist into the other hand. Either he also had a beef with Naoyuki, or he just liked to beat people up. Either way, he started up the short set of stairs toward the old man.

_PATHAAM!_

The large man was on the last step before having Naoyuki in reach when his body suddenly launched itself backwards. His back and head crashed into the door and roof of the car and there was the sound of broken glass as the unconscious body slid to the ground.

“What the hell was that?” the stunned woman demanded.

“That was an Astronomy textbook. I’ll be wanting it back.” Kyou said as she stepped out of the shadows and stood next to Naoyuki.

“Who… who do you think you are? Doing something like that to my guest! You must be one of those…” the woman demanded, but her voice trailed off as Kyou descended the stairs to stand only a few centimeters in front of the angry but unsure woman.

“Oh… please continue. But try not to do or say anything stupid. I don’t deal well with… stupid. If you do, I’m afraid you might discover that I can do more than just toss books at idiots.” Kyou taunted with her own brand of malevolence.

“I… I’m here to see my daughter.” the woman had lost a lot of her bravado with Kyou standing right in front of her, but she still had her demands.

“I’m afraid that Yuki-chan doesn’t want to see you. At least, not today.” Tomoya said as he now stepped out of the shadows of the porch and stood next to his father at the top of the stairs.

“So, my little nephew finally shows his face.” the woman sneered when she saw the man that looked like a younger and taller version of Naoyuki.

“I’m not your nephew.” Tomoya told her.

“Hanh?” the woman rolled her eyes as if she would have to explain something simple to a child. But it was Tomoya that led with the explanation.

“This is my father who, as I understand it, has no relation to you any more. That means you are not my father’s sister and therefore – I am not your nephew.” Tomoya said.

“Talking all special like that… you think you’re a lawyer or something?” the angry woman asked.

“He _is_ a lawyer.” Kyou said with a challenging smile.

“Fine! Well get this through your thick head, lawyer boy. My daughter has a promise to keep, so she needs to get herself out here right now!” the angry old woman yelled.

“A promise to keep…” Kyou repeated the words then looked over to the smaller and younger of the two men that had come with the irate woman. She asked the young man, “With you?”

“Yes.” the man answered stiffly.

“Have the two of you even met?” Kyou asked.

“No.” the young man admitted.

“Then… who made the promise?” Kyou asked.

The younger man didn’t answer the question but his gaze shifted to the irate woman standing in front of Kyou.

“Does that woman owe you or your family money?” Tomoya asked.

“Don’t answer that!” the woman yelled, but it was too late. The younger man had already nodded his head.

“That’s too bad. You’re going to have to find some other way of getting your money back from her though. You see, Yuki already belongs to someone else.” Kyou said with a malicious smile.

“What? No she doesn’t! I never heard about her getting married.” the woman claimed.

“I didn’t say she was married. As it happens, she belongs to me. And I have no plans to let her go. At least, not for a _very_ long time.” Kyou said happily.

“You BITCH!” the woman raised her hand to slap Kyou, but never made it any farther than that.

Kyou’s powerful leg came up so that her knee impacted the woman’s stomach and diaphragm. The impact was hard enough to launch her a dozen centimeters into the air before she crashed down on top of the large man who was finally starting to get back to his feet.

“Then… I’ll sell… this place.” the woman said between gasps of air while clutching her stomach.

“That avenue is closed to you as well.” Tomoya said evenly, “Before I put any money into fixing this place up, I looked into it and found that it was in foreclosure. You see, you don’t own any part of this property any more.”

“What?” Naoyuki hadn’t heard about this and turned to his son. “You mean… you own it now?”

“Not quite. It’s in a trust that I manage. Technically, you and Obāsan are the legal property owners. But the trust retains certain rights so, you can’t sell it.” Tomoya then turned to the haggard woman that should have been his aunt, and told her, “Which means, neither of them can be compelled to sell it either.”

“You…” the woman stopped herself before unleashing a torrent of curses at the young man on the porch. She and the older man were still helping each other up from the ground and the demonic lavender haired woman was still very near by.

“She… she has responsibilities!” the woman insisted.

“She does not.” Kyou said matter-of-factly.

“I’m going inside that house. I don’t know what kinds of lies you people have filled her head with, but I’ll straighten her out. I’ll talk reason into that thick head of hers!” the old woman made another move toward the steps, but this time it was Naoyuki that stopped her.

“Just a moment.” he said to his former sister. Turning to his son, he asked to make sure he understood what Tomoya had said earlier, “Okāsan and I are the legal property owners of the house?”

“The house… and all the surrounding property.” Tomoya answered.

“In that case, there is something I’ve always wanted to say.” Naoyuki turned and descended the steps to stand before the fuming woman and the man who was still wincing from the agony in his chest. He stood there until they were looking back at him. For the first time in a long while, he met their gaze and refused to look away.

“Well?” the old woman demanded.

“Get off my lawn.” Naoyuki told them.

 

**Tuesday morning, December 28 2010 – The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

“I did it! I did it!” Fuko was jumping and cheering as she watched the little pastries fall from the pan.

Tomoyo had been showing them all how to make something that she had come up with when she was doing one of her joint efforts with Sanae. Small pastries with some kind of fruit had not been what they had started out to make, but it had been a delicious result of that day’s experiment.

Fuko and _the boys_ had all tried their hand at making them and everyone had some degree of success… mostly. Poor Isamu couldn’t seem to make a batch without burning them and Ryota could only make the banana twists.

“What’s wrong with that? At least you like banana, right?” Isamu blasted Ryota for being upset about the failures when he should have been thrilled with having at least _some_ success.

“Sure, I do.” Ryota admitted, “But Kotomi-chan… well… you know how she likes raspberries and blueberries.”

“I’m pretty sure she likes strawberries too.” Takeshi pointed out.

“Yeah, but she’s always got raspberries and blueberries in her kitchen.” Ryota countered.

“Sure she does, but… so what?” Kenta asked.

“I just… I want to make some of these for her when she comes back.” Ryota confessed. Realizing how that could be taken, he started to blush from what he had just said.

“Like a… _welcome home_ present?” Isamu suggested.

“Yeah!” Ryota felt less embarrassed about his feelings when Isamu put it that way.

“Dat ain’t a bad idea.” Mikio agreed. Just then, the bell over the door jingled and they all turned to greet the new guest.

“Boss!” several of them shouted when the platinum blond walked in. Knowing that she had gone to the hospital that morning, others clamored to ask about their friend, “How is Hiroki?”

“Stubborn as a mule, I’ll bet.” Kenta jeered.

“He is much better and… yes, he is quite stubborn.” Tomoyo told them, “He wants to leave the hospital and he insists that he will be well enough for the January trip.”

“Ha! Of course he does.” several of them cheered their friend’s determination.

“How… how can you be happy about this? Don’t any of you understand? If this works out, you may never see your friend again. Do you really want that?” Tomoyo asked them with incredulity at the cheerfulness they were displaying.

The boys became quiet and glanced back and forth at each other at the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere in the bakery.

“Tomoyo… can we take a walk for a few minutes?” Isamu asked.

“Sure.” Tomoyo too was aware that her question and lack of understanding had wrecked the mood in the bakery. Putting her scarf back on, she stood at the door and wondered if Isamu hated her now.

Isamu took her hand and led her out the door into the cold December air. It was overcast and there was a threat of snow… or freezing rain. But so far, the heavy clouds hadn’t let loose. Almost by habit, they took the winding walkway that would lead them to the baseball field. As the bleachers came into view, Tomoyo finally broke the silence.

“Do you hate me now?” she asked with downcast eyes.

“No.” Isamu answered firmly.

“Really?” Tomoyo wanted assurance.

Isamu raised his hand to show her that they had been walking through the park holding hands with fingers intertwined… the way lovers do.

“Oh… yeah.” Tomoyo looked back down and said, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be.” Isamu told her as he led her into the dugout for the visiting team. It wasn’t much of a protection from the elements, but it was a relatively comfortable place to have a chat.

“Why not?” Tomoyo asked with the memory of how their jovial mood had gone sour, fresh in her mind.

“Did you ever play cops and robbers as a kid?” Isamu asked his girlfriend.

“Yeah.” Tomoyo answered and wondered how he would bring this back into an explanation for why she shouldn’t apologize for ruining everyone’s cheerful holiday mood.

“A bunch of kids with similar backgrounds that all know each other. They’re playing a game together. They play with the same rules and when it’s over, they all go home and they’re all friends the next day. But that ain’t how it is for real cops and robbers, is it?” Isamu asked rhetorically.

“No.” Tomoyo answered automatically. A corner of her mouth turned up when she realized that she had answered a rhetorical question. But she turned to Isamu to see where this conversation led.

“We… the boys and I… we’ve got a history with you. We used to fight a lot. I ain’t sayin that’s a bad thing. We used to fight with each other too. But… the reason we fought. The reason we became thugs and you became a… vigilante. They were never the same reasons, were they?”

Tomoyo looked at Isamu before answering this time. “No, I guess not.”

“You told me about your family situation and what it did to your brother. Tell the truth, it don’t really sound like a good reason to go picken all them fights. At least, not to me.” Isamu told her.

Tomoyo wasn’t proud of that part of her past but she still bristled at being judged on it.

“But we didn’t even have a reason that good. Some of us did it because they were stupid and thought there was some cool gangsta’ way of life. But most of us… we just did it because we was bored.” Isamu admitted.

“You’ve… told me this before, you know.” Tomoyo reminded him of the many conversations they had about why they all wanted to be on the exploration teams.

“Sure… I told you about the fun part and about the bored part, but I never told you about the happiness part.” Isamu smiled.

“The happiness part?” Tomoyo recalled their many conversations and thought that maybe he had said something about it before, but she didn’t object to hearing it again.

“After being a useless thug, you realize… some things might be fun for a while. But when you look at a couple that’s in love… I mean _real love_. That’s when you know… you ain’t never gonna have _that_ kind of happiness.” Isamu held Tomoyo’s hands and looked deep into her eyes.

“No… I mean, I’ve heard of women that fall in love with… thugs.” Tomoyo countered.

“That would be rare. Most of the time, they fall in love with the lie. That gangsta’ style they thought was so cool? By the time they realize it was all a lie, it’s too late and they’re in a loveless relationship they can’t get out of… usually because of kids, but sometimes because they’re too afraid to face life on their own.” Isamu didn’t look away from Tomoyo’s eyes. He needed to see her reaction to all of this. Besides explaining things to her, there was something about her that he needed to know.

But… how does that mean that it’s okay for…” Tomoyo was confused, but Isamu was about to wrap it all up for her.

“Hiroki. He fell in love hard. And Nagisa-chan… I meant the Nagisa-chan from the other world – well, she fell in love with him when she thought he was a construction worker. She didn’t fall for that thug or gangsta’ life crap. She actually loved him for who he was. And Hiroki… he realized he had a chance. A chance that thugs like us rarely ever get. He got himself a chance at happiness.” Isamu watched Tomoyo for her reaction, but it wasn’t what he expected.

“Baka.” Tomoyo said quietly with a faint smile on her lips.

“Huh?” Isamu wondered if she had dismissed his explanation.

“When are you guys going to realize this?” Tomoyo took Isamu’s face in both hands and told him, “You… All of you have changed. You’re not useless thugs any more.”

“But some people still see us…” Isamu started.

“I don’t!” Tomoyo cut off that statement firmly. Then after a sigh, she smiled at him and asked, “Do you really think I, of all people, would fall in love with a thug?”

“N… no, I guess not.” Isamu finally looked away. Her unanticipated answer caught him off guard. Since he still thought of himself as a thug – a _reforming_ thug to be sure, but still a thug… He wondered if Tomoyo didn’t love him the way he thought she did.

“But, I think I get your point. Hiroki really is in love, isn’t he?” Tomoyo asked.

“Yeah… he is.” Isamu said. For some reason, he got a hollow feeling now when he thought of Hiroki being in love.

“All right then. I’ll stop trying to rain on his parade… I promise.” Tomoyo said as she closed her eyes and leaned into Isamu for a kiss. He kissed her, but something felt different. Something felt off. Backing up, she opened her eyes. He looked like the same Isamu that she had known before this little talk, but she couldn’t help the feeling that something was… different. _Have I upset him? What did I say? Maybe… maybe he’s just distracted. He’s just worried about Hiroki… probably._

“Well… it’s cold out here. Let’s head back to the bakery.” Isamu said while getting up.

“Yeah, I guess we should.” She rose and took his hand. It felt the same as it did before, but with gloves on, she couldn’t be sure if something hadn’t changed there too.

 

**Friday afternoon, December 31 2010 – The Okazaki home in Hokkaido**

* * *

More snow had fallen the previous night, and it had become quite deep on the ground. Standing on the porch with a mug of hot coffee, Tomoya and Kyou gazed out at the fresh ground covering.

“Wow… there’s no sign of any of the stuff we did yesterday.” Kyou marveled at the sparkling white blanket of undisturbed, new snow. She was referring to hours of fun they had spent in the snow the previous day. They taught the children how to make snow angles, and helped them make some small snow men. None of them could be seen now. The angels had been filled in, and the snowmen were only partially visible as lumps where the wind had blown the light snow into drifts against anything that stuck up in the air. Trees, buildings, bushes, and fence-posts had the most pronounced shadow drifts. But, if the show were a little deeper, the fence-posts and bushes would be buried and it would be only the trees and buildings peeking out above the snow.

“Hmm.” Tomoya was lost in thought… and memories. _There was an old cabin in a place with deep snow. And, a little girl…_ Remembering the little girl brought him back to the children that were with him, the deep snow, and what it meant for tonight.

“What?” Kyou asked. She could tell from the tone of his groan that he was concerned about something. She had been worried ever since Christmas that she had gone too far in dealing with Tomoya’s estranged aunt.

“The snow is going to be pretty deep tonight.” Tomoya said as he mulled things over in his mind.

“I think that’s already been established.” Kyou observed. Her mind raced to try and figure out what his comment about the deep snow might be a metaphor of. _Wait a minute… Tomoya isn’t that complicated._ Relaxing a little, she took a sip of her coffee and waited for Tomoya to get to what was really bothering him.

“We promised Shuichi and Shuji that we would take them to their first shrine visit tonight.” Tomoya said, “But the deep snow… It will make the path to the old shrine very difficult for short legs.”

“Unh.” Kyou put her hand to her head with the memory of making that promise. The deal with the boys had been struck months ago – long before they knew they would be facing the new year in Hokkaido. Now that the date was here, she regretted ever making such a promise. “It will also be very late for them. But… a promise is a promise.”

Tomoya was wondering if it would be easier to carry them when they tired of pushing their way through snow that was almost as tall as them… _or perhaps pulling them on a sled? I wonder if there are any snowshoes in the house that are their size?_

As they stood together and considered the difficulty that this evening would be for them, small flakes of more snow began to fall from the leaden sky once again. The wind picked up a little and a chill ran through them even with all the winter layers they were wearing. And yet…

“This is nice.” Kyou leaned her head against Tomoya’s shoulder as she watched the falling snow begin to obscure the distant hills.

“It is?” Tomoya asked in surprise. He had still been thinking only of the difficulty they would be having with the boys later in the evening. But he felt her leaning on him and realized that she had commented on a different aspect of their current situation. “Yeah… I guess it is. Quiet. Peaceful. It is cold, but...” he finished the sentence not with words but by putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her a little closer.

Kyou closed her eyes and luxuriated in the feeling of being held by Tomoya. She was about to suggest a kiss to warm up their lips, when another blast of cold wind blew across the wide porch. Her eyes opened when it passed and she was stunned at what she saw. The light flurries of snow that had been falling were now falling so thickly that she couldn’t see the utility building that was only a few dozen meters away.

“Let’s go inside.” Tomoya suggested. As much as he enjoyed holding Kyou close, that last blast of cold air had frozen him to his core.

 

As they removed one layer of winter wear after another, and hung them on hooks in the entryway, Sanae arrived with a silly grin that looked a little too happy.

“Sanae?” Tomoya asked the giggling woman. Then he noticed the thick mug she was holding with both hands and remembered a similar thick mug from several years ago. Warning bells were going off when he noticed that Sanae’s mug was almost empty, “Oh no.”

“What?” Kyou asked. She saw the thick mug too but thought nothing of it.

“Sanae-san… did Yuki-chan give you that drink?” Tomoya asked as if talking to a child.

“Sanae-san… why does it have to be Sanae-san?” Sanae pouted.

“Huh?” Kyou couldn’t make any sense of this conversation.

“It’s Kyou-chan this, and Ryou-chan that, and Nagisa-chan too, so… why can’t it be _Sanae-chan_?” Sanae seemed on the verge of tears.

“Is that Plum wine?” Kyou whispered as she watched the tottering woman. Tomoya answered her with a nod but replied to the inebriated woman.

“Sanae-chan! Will you take me to Yuki now? I think I need to talk to her about… something. Can you take me to her, Sanae-chan?” Tomoya said through a forced smile that a sober Sanae would recognize in a heartbeat. As expected though, in her current state, she brightened right up when Tomoya said her name with the more familiar and youthful honorific.

“I’ll take you, but you have to let me hold your arm.” Sanae moved to Tomoya’s side without waiting for an answer. She wrapped herself around his arm and looked up to his face as if she were ready for a kiss.

“How many did she have?” Kyou asked with concern, while wrapping herself around Tomoya's other arm. It was almost habit to her since this was how she and Kotomi used to walk with Tomoya.

“Probably just that one.” Tomoya whispered back.

“One?” Kyou gaped.

“Yeah… she and Nagisa are both lightweights when it comes to alcohol.” Tomoya told her as they started walking through the house toward the big den in the back.

“How do you know about that?” Kyou asked suspiciously.

“Your sister told me. Apparently, when they drink, Sanae-san turns into an incredible tease, and Nagisa-chan can get pretty… aggressive.”

“Aggressive? Nagisa?” Kyou was shocked to hear that. She was also determined to find out more about this aggression, since it seemed to have been aimed at her sister.

“Hey… you called me Sanae-san again.” Sanae moped as they finally arrived at the den.

“Sanae-chan! Sorry about that. I meant to call you Sanae-chan, really. I just slipped up because… we haven’t been that close for a while.” Tomoya would blame it on his new job with the political party if she pressed it.

“We haven’t been close have we? But… that’s all your fault too, you know. So, I demand a punishment!” Sanae cried out.

“Okay, Sanae-chan. What kind of mmmmmmf!” Tomoya’s words were lost as the inebriated woman wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. It was no chaste kiss either. Tomoya’s eyes opened wide as her tongue invaded his mouth and sought him out. She tasted of sweet plum wine and he knew that he tasted of coffee. The alcohol in the wine had taken down the walls of propriety and civility and Sanae was eagerly taking something she wanted now. Tomoya was stunned by the intensity of the woman’s kiss. For a moment, he wondered how Akio could ever keep up with someone with so much passion.

_Akio…_

“Hey brat… that’s my wife you’re kissing.” Akio said to Tomoya as he stood next to them.

“Mmmmf!” Tomoya groaned. He wanted to flap his arms like a bird in a trap, but one arm was helping to support Sanae while Kyou still had hold of the other one.

“Um… I think it’s your wife that’s kissing my husband.” Kyou refuted Akio’s claim while watching the ongoing kiss.

“Well… he doesn’t look like he’s trying to stop her, does he!” Akio put the blame back on Tomoya while also spellbound by the long endurance of the kiss.

“Mmmf!” Tomoya tried to respond but Sanae’s grip around his neck was fierce and her kiss was all consuming.

“He’s just being nice. It would be rude to push her away in her condition.” Kyou defended her husband while continuing to be fascinated by the seemingly never-ending kiss.

As suddenly as it had started, Sanae’s body went limp and she fell away from Tomoya into Akio’s waiting arms.

“Ho! Ah… uh…” Tomoya was gasping for air after that incredible kiss that left his heart racing.

“So, Sanae...chan is a good kisser?” Kyou asked as if it were only a curiosity.

“Yeah!” Tomoya answered as his mind tried to calm back down into a normal state where he could think properly.

“Better than me?” Kyou asked slyly.

“Yeah… wait! I mean… uh…” Tomoya knew he had just screwed up terribly. “It was the wine! The plum wine. Yeah.”

“So… you’re saying I’m _not_ a good kisser?” Sanae pouted from where Akio held her in his arms.

“Hey! What are you saying about my wife?” Akio demanded.

“No, I didn’t mean that! Sanae-chan is a very good kisser!” Tomoya said.

“So she _is_ better than me.” Kyou pouted.

“I didn’t say that.” Tomoya insisted.

“So… I’m not so good then. Tomoya-kun doesn’t want to kiss me after all.” Sanae whimpered.

“Hey brat! You’re making Sanae feel bad. Do you want to kiss her or not?” Akio demanded.

“AHH!” Tomoya shouted and looked around. He spied his cousin and an idea came to him, “Yuki!”

“Now you want to kiss me?” Yuki said with surprise.

“No!” he slapped his face with the hand that was now free of supporting Sanae and asked his cousin, “Can you bring me two mugs of the plum wine?” Tomoya begged.

“Sure.” Yuki said glumly. In a few minutes, she was there with the two mugs, but was wearing a frown.

“What’s bothering you?” Tomoya asked as he took the two mugs of wine from Yuki and handed one to Kyou and another to Sanae.

“You’ll kiss Kyou-chan and Sanae-chan, but I just get a big _NO_.” Yuki pouted.

Now that Yuki was close, Tomoya could see that her cheeks were a little pink and he guessed that she had been drinking some of the plum wine herself. He groaned while thinking of all the trouble this stuff was causing. “Yuki-chan, please pull it together. I really need your help here.”

“Okay.” Yuki realized that being someone that was reliable was good too.

“Kyou, drink all of that – then kiss me.” Tomoya commanded.

“But I…” Kyou started to object.

“Just do it.” Tomoya ordered, then turned to Sanae and told her, “You drink all of that wine, then kiss Akio.”

“A-ki-oooooo.” Sanae crooned with a big goofy grin as she swept her finger around the edge of the mug. But she didn’t argue with Tomoya’s order. A moment later and she turned the mug up and gulped down the fruity wine.

“I brought some more.” Yuki returned with two more mugs of the family plum wine.

“So, this is the stuff that makes Sanae flirty and Nagisa aggressive, huh?” Kyou said as she finished the mug and looked eagerly at one of the new mugs that Yuki had returned with.

“Here.” Tomoya passed one of the mugs to Kyou, but he kept the other one for himself.

Yuki was about to take the empty mugs away, but Kyou was looking at her intently.

“You…” Kyou had finished her wine and was staring at Yuki with a lopsided smile, “You’re mine.”

“Huh? Oh yeah… I heard that you had it out with my mother on the porch. I’m sorry that she caused you any trouble.” Yuki was momentarily distracted from her function as a barmaid, with the reminder of her mother's unwelcome visit. However, it didn’t seem to distract Kyou.

“You’re mine.” Kyou reached out and grabbed the younger woman by the collar and pulled her close.

“Eep!” Yuki wondered what Kyou was going to do with her for a moment, but Tomoya stepped in just then.

“Hey,” Tomoya interrupted Kyou’s current amusement with a hand on her arm and asked her, “Do you want to play games with Yuki now, or do you want to kiss me?”

Yuki watched as Kyou jumped into his arms and kissed Tomoya very… energetically. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her legs were wrapped around his waist. He was supporting her with his hands on her… thighs. She thought for a moment that they fit together very well. Of course, Akio and Sanae on the couch by the big fireplace also seemed to be made for each other. With a smile she told herself, _Someday I will find my special guy. Someday…_

 

Yuki sat down with a huff in the living room where all the rest of the adults were watching the children wind down. They were coloring quietly and a few of them were already asleep with markers still clutched in their little hands.

“Yuki-chan? What’s wrong?” Yukine asked.

“I…” she was about to reply something about how all happy couples should just die, when she noticed that Youhei and Yukine were sitting together and holding hands. Instead, she sighed to clear up her mood a little and told them, “You should go into the den.”

“Huh, why?” Youhei was concerned that there was some kind of problem there.

“The Furukawa’s and Okazaki’s are in there now. It seems to be the place for happy couples to go and make out.” Yuki said jealously.

“I don’t think…” Yukine’s comment was interrupted by Ryou suddenly standing up with a determined look on her face.

“Sugisaka, will you watch Ushio for a bit?” Ryou asked.

“It would be my pleasure, Fujibayashi-san.” Sugisaka said.

“Wait! Ryou… um…” Nagisa tried to protest but Ryou had her hand and was leading her off towards the den. And, it didn’t seem like she was interested in any debate.

 _Heh, it looks like Ryou-chan can be pretty aggressive too._ Yuki chuckled to herself.

 

_Gong… Gong… Gong… Gong…_

A faint ringing sound awakened Tomoya. His eyes fluttered open and he wondered where he was for a moment. He was also aware of a considerable weight on top of him. As his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the big den, now lit only by the dying embers of the fireplace, he discovered that someone had put a blanket over him… and Kyou. The weight was Kyou lying on top of him. He decided that discovering that the weight on top of him was Kyou, was not a bad thing at all. Nor was it surprising. She did like to snuggle when she slept. What _was_ surprising was finding out that he could feel her… skin to skin.

_I must never never never let Kyou know that I thought of her as a ‘considerable weight’. Wait a minute… skin to skin?_

Tomoya didn’t remember lying down on the couch and he certainly didn’t remember taking his clothes off. He lifted up the blanket to peek and see if his suspicions were correct, but there wasn’t enough light to see anything under the heavy blanket. Instead, he ran his hands down her back to the gentle swell of her butt and felt nothing but smooth skin.

“Whoa… that wine is pretty powerful stuff.” Tomoya said aloud.

“You’re not kidding.” Akio’s voice came from the couch on the other side of the low table in the center of the room. He and Sanae were sitting up with another of the big heavy blankets wrapped around them. “What I want to know now is… where are my clothes?”

“Huh?” Tomoya sat up while repositioning Kyou into his lap. She was half asleep… or still a little drunk, and moved with the motion without waking up. But from what Tomoya felt under the protection of the blanket, he already knew that neither of them were wearing anything at all. He looked around and didn’t see any of their clothes either. “It looks like our clothes are missing too.

“Kyou!” Tomoya tried to wake the sleeping Kyou in his lap. Then he glanced up to see the Furukawa parents were both awake. Sanae was sitting in Akio’s lap too, except she was turned so that she was facing Tomoya and Kyou. Their blanket was wrapped around them so that only their necks and heads were peeking out. After several tries, Tomoya gave up on trying to rouse his slumbering wife. For several minutes, the two couples just sat there, with all but Kyou facing each other.

_Gong… Gong… Gong… Gong…_

“What’s up with that bell?” Tomoya asked after a while.

“It sounds like a shrine bell.” Akio commented.

“Shrine bell? Oh no. We promised to take the boys to the shrine for New Year’s Eve.” Tomoya said.

“Don’t worry about it. The radio said that they were expecting extreme winter conditions and advised everyone to stay home.” Akio told him.

“I guess we’ll be staying here tonight.” Tomoya replied – a little relieved.

“Yes. This is a good place to wait out a winter storm.” Akio agreed.

“Heh, as long as we don’t let my dad pull any more tricks on us.” Tomoya chuckled at the memory of being buried under a huge pile of snow that had fallen from the roof.

“Yeah… that was a good one.” Akio admitted. His memory of the snowfall gave him a chill.

“This is a nice room though.” Tomoya said as he looked around. Aside from the big fireplace which now held only dying embers, there were big windows across the back that opened onto a porch and had a view of… more falling snow.

“I’m really liking this room, but I wish the fire were… bigger.” Akio said.

“You could… oh yeah.” Tomoya was about to suggest that Akio stoke the fire but remembered that he didn’t have his clothes either. He was about to call out to Yuki when Sugisaka came into the room with a stack of folded clothes in her arms.

“I thought I might find all of you in here.” the maid smirked.

“Did you do this?” Tomoya wondered if his maid was starting to play pranks on them.

“No, Tomoya-san. I believe your cousin did. I don’t think she meant any harm though. I found the clothes in the washer and moved them to the dryer. I found Yuki asleep with the children.” Sugisaka said as she passed out the clothes to the two men. She laid clothing for Kyou and Sanae on the low table that ran between the two couches.

Tomoya noticed that Sugisaka was still holding onto more clothes and wondered who they were for. But that concern could wait. He needed to get dressed now and he needed to deal with Kyou. As far as the missing clothes were concerned, he would thank Yuki for washing them, but not mention the trouble it caused when she fell asleep before returning them.

“Ah… mystery solved.” Akio grunted as he struggled to get into his clothes underneath the blanket, without revealing himself, or his wife.

“Thank you, Sugisaka.” Tomoya thought he would have a more difficult time than Akio, since Kyou was still passed out. But the attentive maid noticed and brought over another blanket to wrap Kyou in. Tomoya noticed this and appreciatively said, “Again - thank you, Sugisaka.”

“Is everybody packed?” Akio asked while he held the blanket for his wife to get dressed.

“Yes, Furukawa-san.” Sugisaka answered.

“Good. We’ll be having an early start, so I hope the kids are already asleep.”

“They are.” turning to Tomoya, she told him, “Your sons decided to turn in after the weather announcement of the winter conditions. They are very well behaved children. You should be proud.”

“I am. But, you should be proud too.” Tomoya told her as he picked up his blanket wrapped wife in a princess carry.

“Me?” Sugisaka asked.

“They are children. They soak up their environment like a sponge. To a great extent, they emulate the adults around them. If they are well behaved and proper – it is at least partially due the adults in their environment. You are one of those adults.” Tomoya reminded her.

“Th… thank you, Tomoya-sama.” Sugisaka blushed. She had never considered that she was a positive influence on the children’s lives – and, she didn’t know if it was true, but it was a very nice thought.

 

Sugisaka stayed and watched until both the Furukawa’s and Okazaki's had left the room before taking the remaining clothes to the back of the room. There was a couch there that was turned away from the others to face the scenery out the big picture windows. In the very dim light there, she knelt at the couch and brushed some dark hair from a pale face.

“Fujibayashi-san.” she said quietly. She was about to repeat the name when she saw the eyes open. “I found your missing clothes. They are clean now. I will leave them here for you.”

“Thank you Sugisaka.” Ryou said. She was about to ask what time it was when she realized that she could hear the tolling of a shrine bell off in the distance. After Sugisaka left the room, she pulled the blanket down to reveal Nagisa’s head where it lay on her breasts. She ran her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair and softly told her, “Happy New Year, Nagisa.”

 

**Saturday early morning, January 1 2011 – The Hachinohe-Tomakomai Ferry**

* * *

They were back on the fast ferry that connected the small Hokkaido port with another port on the north-east coast of Honshu. Due to it being a holiday, there were not as many ferry runs, and this one started very early in the morning. But that early start afforded the passengers a unique opportunity. And the Ferry’s captain knew well what kind of a crowd-pleaser it was.

As soon as the ship was loaded, it sailed east, beyond the coast of Hokkaido. At that point, the captain had the ship come to a south-south-west heading and slowed down. This presented all the windows along the port side of the ship to the openness of the vast Pacific Ocean. But more importantly, on this day and at this time it would be the first sunrise of the new year. And, as luck would have it, the weather over the north Pacific was perfect for it.

Obāsan Shino and Ojiisan Naoyuki had stayed in Hokkaido, but the rest of them were together on the observation deck now. Adults holding sleepy children stood at those big picture windows while watching the sky slowly get brighter and brighter.

“I wish we could have stayed longer.” Ushio said as she watched the lightening sky with everyone else. Her favorite part of the trip had been making snow angles with her mothers and her grandparents.

There was silent agreement from both children and adults as they thought back about the peaceful and fun times they had in the snow covered hills of Hokkaido.

“I do too… but I want to get home too.” Yasuo said. He flinched when his older sister drew near, but she only put an arm around him and nodded her head in agreement. He and his sister Maiko were the only children that didn’t have their parents with them on this trip. The Yoshino parents had wanted to come, but couldn’t get out of their prior commitments.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to go to the shrine last night.” Kyou said to Shuichi and Shuji.

“It’s okay.” Shuichi said sleepily, “We can try next time. Right?”

“You bet.” Kyou agreed.

“I think I was too tired anyway.” the twin brother, Shuji admitted.

“Too tired for what?” their younger sister, Michiko asked.

“Mom and Dad were going to take us to the shrine for New Year’s Eve last night, but the weather was too bad.” Shuichi said.

“So we didn’t go.” Shuji added.

“Aww, I want to go too.” Michiko was particularly fond of the big vermilion Torii gates and the fox statues at the shrines.

“Maybe you can go next year.” Kyou suggested.

“No! I wanna go with Shuichi and Shuji!” the little girl demanded. Her fifth birthday would be in three days. But even at her young age, she felt that she was a victim of the _you can’t do it yet because you’re not old enough yet_ conspiracy. In this case though, the misunderstanding was a matter of ignorance, rather than some unjust plot.

“Okazaki Michiko.” Kyou used the little girl’s full name to get her attention. Then she explained to the child, “It is called the New Year’s Eve visit because it only happens once a year… on the day before the new year. That means – Shuichi and Shuji will have to wait for a year too.”

“Oh.” Michiko responded timidly. She was still nervous from hearing her full name said so firmly.

“The only reason the boys were allowed to go last night was because of their good behavior. That should tell you something.” Kyou told the little girl a bit more quietly.

“I’m sorry mama.” Michiko’s tears started and she reached out to Kyou for comfort.

“There there…” Kyou picked the little girl up and patted her back. She was willing to accept a few acts of poor discipline since the children hadn’t got as much sleep as they really should have. Little arms went around Kyou’s neck as the distressed girl buried her face under locks of lavender hair.

“Here it comes!” Youhei called out as he held Yoichi in his arms. Yukine stood beside him and held his hand.

“Can you turn around and look out the window with me?” Kyou asked a tearful Michiko.

“Okay.” Michiko turned and watched as the first sliver of bright light peeked above the far horizon. Clouds glowed a brilliant gold along their edges that faced the sun and the dark blue sky lightened by degrees until it was a lighter and brighter blue that washed out all the stars that had been there.

“Woooow! Mommy that was soooo pretty!” Michiko turned to face Kyou and eagerly asked her, “Please, do it again!”

 

**Tuesday evening, January 4 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Hiroki’s ribs still hurt, but he wasn’t letting that slow him down… much. Well… he wasn’t letting it stop him at least. Tomoyo wanted to object to letting him go until his health was back to a hundred percent. But Isamu had already made a good point about the difference in risk with this mission. If the professor’s interpretation of Kotomi’s calculations were correct, they would not be explorers in a new world. This time, they would be visitors in a place where they had been before and were on good terms… at least with that world’s version of the Furukawa family.

“We can reschedule this if you’re not feeling up to it.” Tomoyo offered after she heard Hiroki groan while tying the laces on his boots.

“Naw. I’m okay.” Hiroki insisted. Because of the recent injury, the going away party had been a more subdued affair than what had originally been planned. A lot of the old gang came around to wish him well. Several were interested in talking to Isamu or Tomoya about filling the vacancy that Hiroki’s departure would be creating. In the end, it wasn’t too stressful and he ended up getting plenty of rest before today’s big event.

“Come on, Boss. He’s lookin forward to this like a kid looks at Christmas.” Isamu chuckled as he bent over to lace up his own boots.

“I guess so.” Tomoyo replied, but it wasn’t Hiroki that worried her now.

“Hey, I was wonderin,” Takeo interrupted Tomoyo’s worries, “Since this is just a delivery and we don’t need to do the usual lookin around, izzit okay if we just call for an early pickup after we finish with the Furukawa’s?”

“I don’t see why not. Kobayashi?” Tomoyo turned the question to the professor who was running the show in Kotomi’s absence.

“Aside from proving that we can return to the same world, there are no other mission objectives this time. As long as it is safe to do so, I don’t see why not.” Kobayashi agreed.

“Teams to ready positions.” the voice came over everyone’s earpieces as well as the speakers set up in the pergola, and the police radios, “Ten minutes to sensor ball drop.”

Before anyone got up, Ryota and several of the technicians came over to Hiroki.

“Well, before we head out there… the tech guys and me… we came up with somethin for ya.” Ryota opened a box and pulled out a device packed carefully in protective foam. It looked like a golden orb that stood up on three stubby legs.

Hiroki saw that it only had two buttons but looked to Ryota for an explanation rather than ask any questions.

“Press this button to record a message. It will be stored in the device. If we open a gate to this world and send a signal, your message will be sent to us. If you see a light on this thing, it means we sent you a message. Press this button and the message will play to you. That’s so we can send you a message.” Ryota said proudly. He had been part of the redesign of the thing. Originally, it had many buttons and controls and was a lot larger. Ryota cautioned the engineers that it looked a little too interesting that way. In it’s present form, it could be set on a curio shelf and it would rarely get a second glance.

“Neat.” Hiroki picked the device up and looked it over. He knew to be exceptionally gentle with the thing. It seemed like all the stuff that the tech guys put together were too fragile. “If we can send messages all the time, it won’t even be like I’m goin away.”

“No… it doesn’t work like that.” Ryota cautioned his friend, “It will only work when the gate is open to this world.”

“Oh.” Hiroki knew then that sending messages back and forth would be a rare event. But, he appreciated the gesture. “Thanks Ryota. Thanks guys.

“Here.” Takeo handed Hiroki an envelope that felt like it had a letter in it. “Melissa said to give this to you.”

“Melissa-san wrote _me_ a letter?” Hiroki was surprised and worried. He didn’t know how to read English.

“Baka!” Takeo smacked Hiroki’s ape-like face with the envelope and told him, “It’s a list of the winning numbers for some of the unclaimed Takarakuji from 2006 to 2010.”

“No shit?” Hiroki’s eyes opened wide at the gift in his hands. He gave a little laugh and said, “What the hell did I learn how to do all that bakin for?”

“Yeah… it might be useless. She said to tell you that these different worlds ain’t all the same, so those numbers might not match the winning numbers in the world where you’re goin either. But hey, it’s worth a shot.” Takeo shrugged.

“Hell yeah, it’s worth a shot.” Hiroki thanked his long time friend. Then, he was surprised to see Sunohara Youhei approach him next. For a moment, he was worried that the Detective part of Sunohara was going to confiscate Melissa’s gift. But it appeared that he had an envelope too.

“Hiroki-san, I have a request. If you can, will you check up on me and my sister?” he handed the envelope over to Hiroki and told him, “This has all the information I could think of about us. We came from a rural area some distance from here, so none of the survey teams were ever able to… Anyway, I thought that since you’re going to be there a while…” Youhei trailed off. As he asked this favor, he realized how selfish it was.

“I can do that.” Hiroki said with confidence, “That’d be somethin fun for me an Nagisa to do. We can look everybody up and tells you what we find wit this thing.” He held up the transmitter that Ryota gave him.

“Thank you, Hiroki-san.” Youhei gave the man a bow to show his gratitude.

“No, thank you Sunohara-san! Ya jus gave me a mission. Dis means mah adventurin days ain’t over yet.” Hiroki’s smile was from ear to ear.

“I wonder what it will be like on the other side?” Mikio asked as they approached the cordoned off area at center field. It was a very cold night, but there was no wind or precipitation – but the last time they had gone to this world it hadn’t been the same day, season, or even year.

“Sensor ball is returning info.” a technician read out the message, “It is almost six in the morning, the twenty-eighth of July, 2006. Weather is clear and there is no-one around.”

“I’d say the mission is a go then.” Kobayashi smiled and turned to Hiroki, “Good luck Hiroki. You will be missed here.”

“Thanks, professuh.” Hiroki bowed to the gentleman and turned to his comrades, “Let’s go.”

Kobayashi watched the four men walk to the middle of center field. Not realizing that he was speaking his thoughts aloud, he said, “I really hope this works.”

“Why is that?” Tomoyo asked from her position next to him.

“Ah… well, if we can’t go back to exactly the same parallel universe that we once visited, then…” Kobayashi was interrupted by one of the regular announcements.

“Twenty seconds.” the voice came over their earpieces.

“If we can’t get back to the same world, then there is no chance that we can rescue Okazaki Kotomi. Am I right?” Tomoyo asked as she stared at the old man.

“Ten seconds.”

“You are correct.” Kobayashi confirmed.

“Nine.”

“Then what do we do?” Tomoyo asked.

“Eight.”

“I don’t know.” Kobayashi sighed. In truth, this was a huge gamble. If this didn’t work, there may not be any way to get back to the same world. Or, if possible, it may be so complicated that it would require a room full of Kotomi’s to figure it out.

“Seven.”

Tomoyo continued to stare at the old man while she let that admission sink in.

“Six.”

“I see.” Tomoyo turned back to see the four men at center field surrounded by the whirling mass of light baubles.

“Five.”

Kobayashi knew that Tomoyo had always harbored reservations about these missions, so it would be no surprise if she was delighted to hear news that would put the program’s future in question.

“Four.”

“I hope this works then.” Tomoyo said while watching the light baubles whirl into tighter orbits around the four men.

“Three.”

Kobayashi turned to look at Tomoyo now. Her statement had taken him by surprise.

“Two.”

“Thank you, Sakagami-san” Kobayashi said softly.

“One.”

Kobayashi turned back in time to watch the last act of the light baubles as they swarmed to the ground and rushed up into the sky when the countdown reached zero. The four men were gone and there was nothing in center field to indicate that they had ever been there.

Tomoyo stood with Kobayashi and the rest of her boys for several minutes. The clean-up crew drove into center field on a golf cart and started taking down the poles and ropes that they used for cordoning off the safety area around the place that was targeted by the four particle accelerator trucks. From here, they could see the recovery team’s setup already in place.

Tomoyo could make out Ryou’s form as she checked on each of the recovery tubs and talked with her people. Technically still a medical school student, Kotomi had insisted that Ryou be put in charge of the recovery team. Tomoyo would have preferred to have someone with many years of emergency medical experience, but Kotomi had made a good point about having someone that you trust. She had to admit that, even if Ryou’s twin sister was a little unpredictable, Tomoyo also trusted Ryou.

Youhei was near the bleachers talking to one of his uniformed officers as they ushered everyone out of the stands. There hadn’t been that many, but it was enough that she appreciated the officers that were there for crowd control. She was glad for him that he had done so well with his life. She remembered her first impression of him and recalled that it hadn’t been all that impressive... or promising.

“Well… my original plans were to take the boys out for a drink. But, if they’re just going to drop Hiroki off and come back…” Tomoyo frowned. Sitting in the pergola and twiddling her thumbs did not sound like fun to her.

“I think you’ll have time for a drink.” Kobayashi told her, “I seriously doubt they’ll just turn around and leave him there in the park. No… they’ll go to the bakery with him. They’ll catch up with Akio-san and Nagisa-san. Hiroki will have to confess to Nagisa, and then they’ll need to talk Akio-san into letting him live there until he can stand on his own feet.

“Hey, that’s right! Hiroki hasn’t confessed to Nagisa yet has he?” Takeshi asked.

“No… so what?” Mikio asked.

“We’ve all been actin like this is a done deal. But what if Nagisa-chan turns him down?” Takeshi proposed.

“Whatchu talkin bout? She’s crazy bout him. Don you memba da videos from da mission?” Iwao said.

“Yeah, but she’s had half a year to think about it. And… to think about all the stuff they told her.” Ryota considered what that might mean.

“What if… what if she became friends with Kyou-chan. Through her she meets Ryou-chan, and they fall in love like they did in this world?” Mikio suggested.

Everyone wanted to laugh at the absurdity of that happening but each of them could see how it could play out.

“You guys have been watching too much anime.” Tomoyo shook her head at the crazy ideas they were coming up with. “You can come up with ridiculous scenarios all day long but the real…”

Tomoyo’s comment and every other conversation in the area was suddenly interrupted by a loud message playing in their ear pieces.

“EMERGENCY. An emergency recall request has been made by the survey team. EMERGENCY.”

“What the hell?” Tomoyo looked around and saw that the recovery team was moving to get things set up as quickly as possible.

“It’s a recording.” Kobayashi was already on his computer tablet trying to get more information.

“What happened to them?” Tomoyo demanded.

“All we know now is that someone on the survey team triggered the recall request. I’ve got a connection to the sensor ball, but all the video is dark as if… it was put into a bag.

“What the hell is going on over there?” Tomoyo demanded again as she stared intently at the empty place were four people recently stood. Three of them had become friends of hers. One of them… was the man she loved. “How soon…”

“Twenty minutes. The accumulators are already spinning up.” Kobayashi answered the question he knew was coming.

“I hope we’re in time.” Tomoyo’s fists clenched in barely controlled rage.

 

**Friday early morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe (hopefully)**

* * *

“Oh shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
>  
> 
>  **Takarakuji** **:** Japanese lottery ticket.
> 
>  


	4. Unhinged

**Friday early morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

Tomoya and Tomoyo held hands while they walked along the sidewalk that bordered the old park. Still wearing the jogging shorts and T-shirts from their early morning run, they were walking now and Tomoya had got his breath back. He had been running with her ever since he graduated high school a little over three years ago, but he still didn’t have the stamina of his platinum blond wife. But even if it hurt, he always tried his best for her.

“Your brother looked pretty good.” Tomoya said encouragingly. They had come back to this town during Tomoyo’s summer break so she could visit with her family. They hadn’t come back during the summer of her freshman year, but she had wanted to see how her brother was doing and Tomoya didn’t blame her.

“Yeah. Later today I’d like to take him up the path to the school, so he can see the Sakura trees.” Tomoyo said.

“They’re not in blossom any more, you know.” Tomoya reminded her. He remembered her intense struggle as the student council president, to convince the community not to cut down the Sakura trees that lined the walk up to the private high school. All of that had been done for her invalid brother, though she had used a different argument when she faced the city council.

“Even if they aren’t in bloom, it’s still a lovely view. I’m sure he will appreciate it.” Tomoyo countered. She turned and looked up at him in a plea for his approval.

“I’m not saying no. I just wanted to remind you that…” Tomoya’s words were cut short.

PWANG! A pipe collided with Tomoya’s head and back. His body lurched forward and he fell to the sidewalk in front of his wife while the metal pipe clanged to the ground. In horror, Tomoyo watched as Tomoya’s white T-shirt darkened with red from his own blood.

“No!” Tomoyo spun around to see eight toughs coming toward her. Some were carrying more of the metal pipes and others had chains wrapped around their fists. She wanted to help Tomoya but she knew that the thugs would soon be upon her. Without a word of challenge, she sped toward the thugs and began to deal violence to those who dared hurt the one she loved. Legs kicked in rapid succession and fists pounded the insolent thugs. Some of them would go down never to get up again. This wasn’t a fight for dominance or punishment. They had gone too far. She knew that Tomoya was badly injured and could die here… and she knew they didn’t care at all. This changed the game for her.

There was no restraint now. And there was no mercy. Her always powerful blows were now aimed at vital organs. When three of them fell to the ground, obviously dead – the rest backed off… for a moment. That was all the time she needed. Tomoyo rushed back to Tomoya and helped him to his feet. As quickly as they could, she led him into the park to try and lose the thugs.

“I… augh!” Tomoya coughed and blood sprayed out of his mouth. He felt the world going dark but heard Tomoyo’s voice next to him.

“Stay with me! Don’t you dare die on me. Do you hear me Tomoya! Don’t you dare die on me!” Tomoyo was struggling to get him to move as fast as possible. She knew that there was a bakery on the other side of this park. They would be open and she could at least beg them to get Tomoya some help while she dealt with the pursuing thugs.

But the effort was futile. The thugs were hot on her trail and she would never make it to the Bakery in time. And, at this time of the morning, it was unlikely that she would run into anyone that could help her.

 

**Tuesday evening, January 4 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

“Sensor ball is returning info.” a technician read out the message, “It is almost six in the morning, the twenty-eighth of July, 2006. Weather is clear and there is no-one around.”

“I’d say the mission is a go then.” Kobayashi smiled and turned to Hiroki, “Good luck Hiroki. You will be missed here.”

“Thanks, professuh.” Hiroki bowed to the gentleman and turned to his comrades, “Let’s go.”

“So, you’re leading the team today?” Kenta asked Hiroki as they got to the target circle.

“Nah. Ahm jus ready ta go, ya know?” Hiroki grinned.

“Twenty seconds.” the voice came over their earpieces.

“You can be in charge this time if you want.” Isamu said to the big man.

“Dats okay. You betta be in charge in case there’s trouble.” Hiroki turned down the offer.

“Ten seconds.”

“No trouble this time.” Kenta said assuredly.

“Nine.”

“Why not?” Hiroki asked.

“Eight.”

“Been there.” Takeo said.

“Seven.”

“It’s safe.” Isamu added.

“Six.”

“Walk in the park.” Kenta said with a straight face.

“Five.”

 _Snort!_ Takeo and Isamu were barely able to hold back their laughter.

“Four.”

“Seriously?” Isamu chuckled.

“Three.”

“Well...” Kenta said with false innocence.

“Two.”

“Baka!” Takeo said through his own laughter.

“One.”

“But it’s true!” Kenta insisted.

“Zero.”

 

**Friday early morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

As soon as the four arrived, they knew they were in a different place and were glad that no-one was around to see them struggling out of their winter jackets and gloves – in the middle of summer. Takeo picked up the sensor ball and tossed it into his canvas bag on top of the coat he had shoved in it. Three of them were still putting things away when Kenta dropped into a crouch and smacked the emergency button concealed in his clothes. All four of the men now heard a message in their ear pieces.

“EMERGENCY. An emergency recall request has been made by the survey team. EMERGENCY.”

After countless hours of training by Tomoyo, the other three team members immediately went into a crouch and swept the area with their eyes. Their hands flipped the latches on the tool boxes and pulled out the sturdy ball-peen hammers. And in moments they saw what Kenta had seen that made him hit the panic button.

Tomoyo was struggling with an injured Tomoya as they came from around the reach of a hedge. From the looks of the blood stains on his shirt, Tomoya was very badly wounded. Tomoyo seemed desperate to get him to safety, but it didn’t look like she was going to make it. Also from around the long hedge came five men with pipes and chains and… it looked like they were out for blood. Unencumbered with an injured person like Tomoyo was, they would have caught up to her in seconds.

“Oh shit.” Isamu said as he watched the tragedy about to unfold in front of his eyes. _That's right… this is a Tomoyo world, so it makes sense that they would be together. And, by the looks of it, they're gonna get killed right in front of us while we wait to get picked up… If we don't do something about it._ He was moments from making up his mind when the decision was made for him.

“Let’s go!” Kenta said as he and Takeo took off at a run. Takeo tripped over his canvas bag as he came out of his crouch, so Kenta was slightly in the lead. The contents of his bag spilled onto the ground as they raced off. The sensor ball rolled almost ten meters before it came to a stop.

Isamu thought about calling them back for only a moment, but he had come to the same decision as Kenta. Instead, he gave Hiroki an order while they both ran towards the clash. “You get Tomoya to safety. Take him to the bakery. Leave the fighting to us.”

“Yes boss.” Hiroki realized that he slipped up, but Isamu didn’t correct him. Not now.

 _Dammit…_ _this was supposed to be a walk in the park, not a brawl in the park._ Isamu grumbled to himself.

 

**Tuesday evening, January 4 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

“Somebody said _oh shit_ , I think it was Isamu’s voice.” Tomoyo said as she watched the professor and a few of the senior technicians working with their tablets.

“We have video again.” a technician called out. He was suddenly the center of attention as Tomoyo, Iwao, Mikio, Ryota, and Takeshi gathered around him. The sensor ball had many video receptors on it, but most would be aimed either at the ground, in the air, or in the wrong direction from where the action was. But he quickly isolated and expanded the feed on the one camera with the useful view and there was a quiet gasp as the video zoomed in and identified an inert and bloody Tomoya while a melee raged all around him. Hiroki tried to pick up Tomoya’s limp body, but someone attacked him from behind and he went down with Tomoya’s body underneath him.

“If they’re engaged in this fight…” Kobayashi-hakase said.

“… they’re not going to be able to make it to the retrieval point.” Tomoyo finished his thought. She watched as Kobayashi took only a moment to come to a decision, then clicked his transmit button.

“This is Kobayashi. I want the targeting program set up to send, not receive. I say again, we are going to send, not receive. All teams please acknowledge.” the professor called out while Tomoyo prepared to give orders to the anxious men standing around her.

But first, there was someone else she needed. She stared across the outfield to where the recovery teams were now preparing for the worst. Spotting the lavender hair amongst all the others, she depressed her transmit button.

“This is Tomoyo. I want Fujibayashi Ryou here in three minutes with her medical bag.” She didn’t ask for an acknowledgment. She could see Ryou’s reaction from across the field. Turning to the men around her, she said, “Iwao, Mikio, and Takeshi, go grab whatever melee weapons you can find and be back here quick.” Tomoyo told the three largest of those that were left and turned to Ryota.

“What about me, Boss?” Ryota asked. She could hear the plea in his voice that he not be left out.

“I want you to stay here and do whatever you can to help.” Tomoyo told him.

“But, if you can send four…” Ryota didn’t like being left behind, but Tomoyo didn’t look like she was going to debate this decision.

“I’m the number four this time. If you can, get your hands on a tablet and start monitoring the video feed from the sensor ball.” Tomoyo told him.

“On it, Boss!” Ryota took off at a run for the pergola where the tech team would be.

“No Sakagami-san, I can’t accept that.” Kobayashi objected after what he had heard Tomoyo say.

“The only two men I have ever loved are in trouble over there. You are not going to stop me, professor.” Tomoyo insisted as Ryou came running up with two of her assistants. All of them were carrying emergency medical bags.

“What’s going on?” Ryou asked. She knew there was an emergency condition declared for the mission, but the tense atmosphere she saw here was at quite another level. Tomoyo continued to trade glares with Kobayashi Jun, so it was a technician that explained the situation to their chief medical person.

“The video showed a big fight going on and the Tomoya from over there was hurt real bad. It looked like a lot of bleeding. From these video stills here, here, and here… it looks like a head wound.” the technician told the lavender haired doctor while bringing up the best zoomed-in images that he could find.

“Right.” Ryou turned to the two people that had come with her and told them, “Give me your bags. Then, go back and tell everyone to prepare to treat blunt-force trauma and possible stab wounds. Have the surgical tent prepare to treat a head wound. Look up the blood type for Okazaki Tomoya and have some units standing by. If you don’t have many, this is a good time to call for more.”

“Got it.” the two assistants took off at a run for the medical recovery area.

“If you could, please send those pictures to the recovery team.” Ryou told the technician that had shown her the images.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Tomoyo asked Ryou.

“I’m coming with you.” she said matter-of-factly.

“No you’re not.” Kobayashi objected.

“Are either of you qualified to challenge me on a medical opinion?” Ryou looked at them in a way that was far from challenging. Her look told them that the conversation was already over.

“What…” Tomoyo was stunned at the change in Ryou. She hadn’t noticed a change like this before, but then – Fujibayashi Ryou wasn’t someone she interacted with so much either. Turning to the professor, she mouthed a _What the hell?_

“The Medical School effect.” Kobayashi said quietly to Tomoyo, “medical school students learn to be confident, or at least, lie with confidence. It can also affect their pride… and arrogance.”

“I can still hear you.” Ryou said while going through her bags to make sure she had everything she needed.

“It matters not if you can hear me. Even when you become a full medical doctor, I will still be _Hakase_.” Kobayashi Jun said with his own self-confident pride.

“But _not_ in medicine.” Ryou returned his gaze without blush or blinking.

Tomoyo was about to make a comment about both of them being too prideful and arrogant when the announcement went out.

“Two minutes.” the dry voice on the speakers said, just as Iwao, Mikio, and Takeshi came running up with metal baseball bats.

“Where did...” Tomoyo was about to ask where they found the bats but she remembered the sports storage shed. That shed was supposed to have been locked, but she let it go. “Mikio, give me your bat and grab those medical bags.”

“Yes boss.” he picked up the bag just as the speakers made their next announcement.

“One minute.” Everyone was running for the target area now.

“Mikio, you’re staying here with Ryota. I’m taking Ryou to see if she can save Tomoya.” Tomoyo said as she ran alongside the disappointed man.

“Yes… Boss.” Mikio didn’t like being left behind as much as Ryota, but he had seen the video from the sensor ball too, and Tomoya’s condition didn’t look good. If seconds counted, then it was best if Ryou goes across on this trip. He stayed long enough to make sure they were all in the correct position for transit.

“Make sure Kobayashi starts prepping for a retrieval as soon as we’re away.” Tomoyo told Mikio as he started to run out of the target area.

“Ten seconds.”

“Yes Boss.” Mikio replied.

“Nine.”

“And Boss…” Mikio added.

“Eight.”

“Yes?” Tomoyo replied.

“Seven.”

“Good luck, and _fight on_!” Mikio shouted as he waved a clenched fist.

“Six.”

“Wow, it looks completely different from this angle.” Ryou said as she watched the number of light baubles increase in number and start to move.

Hearing her comment, Tomoyo flipped down her own visor to see the strange light orbs eerily close to her.

“Five.”

“Will it hurt?” she asked as the light baubles moved even closer.

“Four.”

“Nope.” Takeshi said calmly… and truthfully. Tomoyo could now see the strange little light orbs passing through her arms and legs.

“Three.”

“Whoa…” Ryou was becoming concerned that the swirling light orbs were getting to be so thick that she could no longer see her surroundings.

“Two.”

“Flick the visor up if you don’t like it.” Takeshi told her.

“One.”

“It’s so beautiful!” Ryou cried out as the light orbs flattened to the ground, then raced up all around her in a mad rush.

“Zero.”

 

**Friday early morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

The first thing Tomoyo noticed when she arrived was that there were more bodies on the ground than there had been before. But there were even more people fighting than before.

“The thugs must have called for reinforcements.” Tomoyo stated as she started off toward the melee.

“What do you want us to do, Boss?” Takeshi asked.

“Get Ryou to Hiroki and Tomoya. If anything happens to her, I’ll have your heads.” Tomoyo took off at a sprint for the nearest thugs she could get to.

Ryou had used up all of her bravado securing her spot on this team. Now that she was here, the idea of running _toward_ an armed melee was terrifying.

"Don’t worry Fujibayashi-san, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Takeshi told her when he saw her concern.

 

The thugs were good fighters, but they hadn't been getting personal training from Tomoyo for half a year. Their moves were powerful, but raw – lacking in finesse or real skill. They were used to intimidating their opponents with numbers or the willingness to use force against those that seemed weaker, or at least reluctant. So, it was a shock to them that the four people that were fighting back didn't seem to care about being outnumbered, and certainly didn't seem intimidated.

However, it still wasn't a one sided fight. As skilled as they were, they couldn't see everywhere. It was only a matter of time before the price had to be paid - for the liability of being surrounded on all sides.

Isamu was still unhurt, but he was the only one – other than the local Tomoyo. Hiroki had gone down early on, but he hadn’t been expected to fight due to the injury he already had. Kenta had blood running down the side of his face, but he was still on his feet and moving confidently. Takeo was the one Isamu was worried about. He had been blindsided by one of those metal pipes these thugs were carrying and now his left arm wasn’t moving right. He knew that Takeo was in a lot of pain, but he wasn’t feeling it now. He had become enraged and, after sinking his ball peen hammer into the face of the person that had damaged his arm, he picked up the idiot’s pipe and took down several of the attackers with the strength of his good arm. After his rampage, it was starting to look good… for a short while. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last.

They would have won the day if it hadn’t been for the arrival of more of the thug bastards. Twice, Isamu had to run back to where Hiroki was laying on Tomoya and smack down a few of the thugs that thought it would be fun to kick the fallen. Now, it was no longer possible to protect Hiroki and Tomoya. There were just too many of them. _Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! This is not how I am going to end. There is no way I'm going to die before I tell Tomoyo how I feel!_ He was about to psyche himself up to a rage like Takeo had used, and charge into as many of the punks as he could, when something distracted the opponents immediately around him.

 _Crunch! Snap!_ “AIEEEEEEEE!” A man screamed like a little girl as the bones in both his legs shattered. The sounds came from Isamu’s left, but there shouldn’t have been anyone there… Just then, he saw Tomoyo in a heavy winter jacket - kicking the body of one of the attackers into two of the others. But, Tomoyo was on his right… wasn’t she? He made a quick glance to his right and saw the improbable… another Tomoyo in running shorts and a blood stained T-shirt. His opponents were also shocked, but Isamu had the advantage of knowing _how_ this was possible after all. Coming out of his surprise moments before the three that he had been fighting did, he was able to kick one, hit another, and take the third down with a risky hammer throw. Borrowing from Takeo’s example, he picked up one of the pipes instead of bothering to retrieve the hammer from the chest of the guy that he had hit.

Taking a moment to survey the scene a bit better now, he saw Iwao and Takeshi standing guard over Fujibayashi Ryou while she was getting to work on both Hiroki and Tomoya.

“Ten minutes.” all of the visitors heard the announcement over their audio pickup.

“Iwao, relieve Takeo!” Isamu hollered. Iwao seemed to pause for a second but decided to do what Isamu told him. As soon as Takeo was out of the fight, he seemed to stagger back to where Ryou was, and collapse. The adrenaline from his berserk charge was over and he was done for the moment. A few of the thugs thought this would be a good time to make a hostage play and charged Takeshi who was left to guard Ryou and the three fallen comrades. That ended up being a very bad plan. Takeshi was not one to hold back.

As the four attackers rushed him, one swung his pipe. Takeshi dodged the swing and swung his bat in a high arch.

“YOU...” Takeshi screamed to the four of them as the bat hit exactly where he wanted it to and crushed the skull of the unlucky punk. Taking the pipe from the collapsing body, he aimed the end of it at the second attacker who was rushing toward him and gave it a hard thrust.

“… WILL NOT…” Takeshi's pipe was now plunged deep into the chest of the second attacker and his bat was already on it's swing to the next target.

“… TOUCH…” the third punk saw the swing coming and dodged, but not fast enough. The tip of the bat crushed into his face, and shattered his jaw.

“… HER!” he feinted a kick and ended up with his thighs wrapped around the thugs back and his hands around the vulnerable throat. The impact of Takeshi’s body sent the unlucky thug face-first into the ground. Pulling the thug's head up and back by his hair, Takeshi bent the panicking punk's spine to the breaking point. The thug screamed and struggled to break free as he felt is scalp being pulled off his head and his back slowly breaking. Takeshi made sure that they were faced away from Ryou, but more importantly – the were positioned so that all of his comrades could see his last moments. With his bare hands, he grasped the head of the last thug and started to twist.

“I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!” he bellowed as the flailing body connected to the head in his hands gave a number of sickening snapping sounds and went limp.

Two or three more of the thugs had just arrived, but seemed unwilling to join the fight. Too many of their comrades were lying in the lush grass barely moving… or not moving at all. Between Takeshi's display of blood rage, the carnage being wrought by the two Tomoyo’s, and the efforts of the others, the thugs may not have been outnumbered, but they now knew that they were completely outmatched… and terrified. The tide had turned. Several of the gang members saw the inevitable end and fled, but a few had been crazed by battle lust and had lost all reason. They were going all out against their current opponents, but there would be no more attempts to try for a hostage gambit.

Without anyone else coming to attack him, Takeshi had calmed down and, at Ryou's request, was carrying Tomoya’s body toward the target point while Ryou and Kenta were helping Takeo along. Hiroki was on his feet, but wasn’t walking toward the pickup point.

“Five minutes.” the announcement went out just before Isamu heard a feral scream. He turned to see an enraged Tomoyo running toward Takeshi… who was carrying the injured Tomoya.

“No! Tomoyo stop! Listen to me! They’re taking him to get medical attention. It’s okay.” Isamu shouted as he moved to intercept her, but he could tell from the crazed look on her face, that she wasn’t hearing him. Wracked with grief and rage, she wasn’t hearing anything now. She went low for one of her rapid kick attacks, but Isamu's Tomoyo had trained him in defending against just such an attack. Avoiding the kick with a backwards fall, he went low himself and swept the leg that she was using for support. But this world’s Tomoyo was good too. She rolled out of the drop and immediately launched a flying kick at his head. Unfortunately, he hadn't recovered fast enough and his defensive options were few. He could get an arm up in time to save his head, but with the power of her kicks, he knew she was going to break his arm. As his arm was moving into the sacrifice block, he saw _his_ Tomoyo sliding in underneath the local Tomoyo and kick up into her tailbone. The impact launched the local Tomoyo into the air and in a spin. Her kick at Isamu’s head was impossible to correct and went wide – missing him by only centimeters. The local Tomoyo came down hard on her side, but was up in a fighting stance in moments. But Isamu was safe now. For the moment, Tomoyo was facing off against… Tomoyo.

The scene was odd, but it wasn’t like the horror movie where a doppelganger takes on the exact image of another person and no-one can tell one from the other. The Tomoyo from this world had a pony-tail and was wearing running shorts and a T-shirt, while the Tomoyo from Isamu’s world was wearing a jumpsuit, heavy boots, and a winter jacket… in July. And her hair was flowing freely. But faces, hair color, and eye color… seemed identical.

“Who… who are you?” the local Tomoyo demanded.

“Who do I look like?” the visiting Tomoyo answered with a question.

“You look like… me.” the local Tomoyo said what she was thinking even if it was something she couldn’t quite believe.

“I am Sakagami Tomoyo. And, judging from the way you were protecting Okazaki Tomoya, and from that ring on your finger, I’m guessing you are Okazaki Tomoyo.” the visiting Tomoyo explained in a much calmer tone.

“It’s an engagement ring… we’re not married yet. But… you can’t be me!” Tomoyo’s confusion was evident, but it was at least taking the edge off her berserker-like rage.

“One minute.” the announcement went out to everyone wearing a headset, which didn’t include the local Tomoyo.

“Listen to me. I want you to put these on and watch over there.” Tomoyo tossed her local counterpart one of the cheap, disposable glasses that were made to be handed out to the audience in the bleachers, and VIP guests. Then she gestured to the place where Takeshi held onto the badly injured Tomoya. Next to them, Kenta and Takeo also tried to help hold on to Tomoya the best they could. “They are going to take him to a place where he can get the medical attention he needs. So, if you want Tomoya to live, you must not interfere.”

“Interfere? With what? What are they doing? They’re just standing there.” the local Tomoyo asked while putting on the strange glasses that her look-alike had handed her. She almost took them back off when she saw the first of the strange light baubles appear. “What… what are those… things?” The disposable glasses didn't have the built in speaker, so she couldn't her the accompanying countdown.

“Keep watching them while I ask you some questions to help you understand what is happening.” The visiting Tomoyo said as she was finally able to take off the winter weight jacket she had been wearing since her arrival.

“Okay…” the local Tomoyo was scared as the number of light baubles seemed to be multiplying around the four men. But she could see the faces of the three men holding onto her unconscious fiancé and they didn’t seem concerned at all. She wanted to do something. She wanted to take back her Tomoya, but the other Tomoyo was right. She had no medical skill for a bad head injury.

“Would you agree with me that your Tomoya is badly injured and may not make it to the nearest hospital?” the visiting Tomoyo asked bluntly, but there was compassion in her voice.

“I… I don’t know.” the local Tomoyo was afraid that what the other Tomoyo said could be true, but she hadn’t had time to look closely at his wounds. From the moment he had been injured, she had either been fleeing or fighting. And, even if she had been able to take a look, she only knew a little first aid – she wouldn’t know how to diagnose a head wound properly.

“I would agree with that assessment.” Ryou said as she approached the two Tomoyo’s. “She continued as if briefing some new interns, “Tomoya suffered a blunt force trauma to the head. The blow was severe enough to tear through the scalp and break the skull underneath. There was significant blood loss and there is the possibility that shards of his skull have penetrated the insulating layers and caused permanent damage to his brain. Without immediate medical treatment, it is likely he would have bled to death. If not that, the physical damage and possible bacterial infection could cause him to fall into a permanent vegetative state… or death.”

“No!” the local Tomoyo cried out. She thought the lavender haired girl looked familiar, but she couldn’t be sure. What she _was_ sure about was the red and white medical bag that the woman was carrying. She looked back to the other Tomoyo who seemed to be watching her closely then back to center field where the light baubles suddenly leaped up into the sky and the four men were… gone. “AH!”

“Tomoyo, I want you to listen carefully to what I am saying.” Ryou handed her medical bag to Isamu and stepped closer to the distraught version of the platinum haired woman she was familiar with and told her, “I have every confidence that your Tomoya is going to be okay.”

“You do? He is? But… but…” the frightened Tomoyo’s arm gestured at the empty place where she had last seen her fiancé.

“What I just told you were based on him not getting to medical care soon. But that is no longer the case.” Ryou gave the other-Tomoyo a half smile.

“It isn’t?” Tomoyo felt a little hope from this girl’s words, but all she had seen so far was a light show and a trick to make Tomoya and the others with him – disappear.

“I want you to imagine that there is an invisible doorway right over there, and believe it or not – there is an emergency medical facility just on the other side of that doorway. Not only that, the nurses and doctors over there – they knew Tomoya was coming to them and what condition he was in, even before he went through the door. They even have his blood type and medical history ready.” Ryou said as calmly and reassuringly as she could.

“That… would be good. It would be a miracle… if it’s true.” the local Tomoyo was now trying harder than ever to place this lavender haired girl. She was saying the most outlandish things but seemed completely confident in her bizarre story.

“Great. Now, why don’t we walk over to the Furukawa Bakery and relax with some coffee and pastries while I explain to you how all of that is true. Would you like that?” Ryou took the last step to close the gap between them, and offered her hand to the bewildered girl.

The visiting Tomoyo didn't like how close Ryou was getting to the potentially dangerous local Tomoyo, but she wasn't in a position to do anything about it at the moment. And, it seemed that Ryou was actually able to calm the distraught other Tomoyo down.

“The bakery… yeah, that would be… nice.” Tomoyo said weekly. Her adrenaline rush was over and the strange events she had seen were sliding her into a mild shock. She took the offered hand and allowed herself to be guided away by the strangely familiar lavender haired girl.

Hiroki followed a few meters behind them with several of the bags that hadn’t gone back with the first four.

As soon as Ryou and the local Tomoyo had walked away, the visiting Tomoyo sagged to her knees. Her adrenaline rush was over too, and she felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion take her.

“Tomoyo! Are you okay?” Isamu was by her side in a moment and looking her over with concern. He didn’t see any blood, but she could have an internal injury.

“So, you do still care about me?” Tomoyo sounded a little slurred as she leaned into Isamu.

“What? Did you get a blow to the head?” Isamu asked worriedly. He peered at her head for any signs of bleeding. _Blood should be easy to see against her light colored hair…_

“No, I’m not injured. I just haven’t eaten in a while and the adrenaline…” Tomoyo was trying to explain when Isamu took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“Why would you ask if I still care about you?” Isamu demanded.

“You…” Tomoyo’s face distorted into a sad look with her mouth turned down and tears forming around her eyes. Her shoulders slumped and she couldn’t keep her eye contact with Isamu as she said, “You’ve been a little distant with me. I was worried. I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”

He could feel her body trembling as she leaned against him and he knew that she was in pain. Not any physical pain. She had probably come through the recent fight without a bruise or a scratch. No, the pain was emotional and Isamu knew that he had been the cause of it. Only now did he figure out that his assumption regarding what she had said to him about never loving a thug, had been grievously wrong. And ever since that erroneous conclusion, the only woman that he had really loved… was hurting.

“I am the worst. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Isamu pulled her into a hug and held her as they knelt in the cut grass of the outfield. “It was all me. I was being stupid. But I promise not to be stupid any more. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tomoyo put her arms around Isamu and held him tight. Through the close embrace, she could feel his heartbeat and the warmth of his body. The fight had made him sweat and she breathed deep his unique scent. She was just getting over the sadness and starting to really enjoy the passion when Iwao’s craggy voice interrupted both of them.

“Ah hates ta bodder ya when ya gets so romantic like, but we gots ta get movin before dees clowns wake up… or da cops shows up.” Iwao said quietly.

“Huh?” Tomoyo looked up at Iwao and tried to focus her eyes. After she blinked a couple of times and looked around her at all the bodies lying in the grass and was reminded of the current events. “Right.”

Isamu got to his feet and helped Tomoyo up. It really did look like a war zone around them. There were broken and bleeding bodies all over the place. Some, but not many of them, were starting to move again.

“Yeah… lets get out of here.” Isamu agreed.

“Let’s grab all our stuff and head for the bakery.” Tomoyo said quietly.

“Hiroki done grabbed mosta da bags. Ahl go fetch da hammers an bats.” Iwao turned toward the recent battlefield, but was stopped.

“Leave them.” Tomoyo said, “We don’t need to be walking around with evidence on us.”

“Yeah… I guess your right.” Isamu agreed with her.

“Dam, that was my favoritist hammer too.” Iwao bemoaned.

“I promise to buy you a new one, as soon as we get back.” Tomoyo gave him a weak smile that turned brighter when she felt Isamu taking her hand. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that the fuzzy, warm, and wonderful feeling of love - was back. Nothing was missing any more. As soon as she got a pastry and a coffee, her life would be complete again.

 

**Tuesday evening, January 4 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Mikio and Ryota were there with the recovery team members to grab the four frozen arrivals and get them to the hot tubs as quickly as possible. All but one of them anyway. Mikio and Ryota had special instructions to take other-Tomoya straight to the emergency treatment tent while he was still cold. The surgeon had just arrived from the nearby hospital, but he had seen the emailed pictures of the head injury and believed that it would be worse to rapidly warm Tomoya’s body after having sustained such grievous injuries.

“What’s going on?” Tomoya asked as soon as he and Kyou arrived. It was their daughter’s fifth birthday and they had spent the day with her. She was asleep now, so the two of them had slipped out of the house to see what the emergency was.

“I thought you two were having a birthday party for Michiko?” Youhei asked. He was especially concerned since his son was supposed to be with them.

“It’s okay, they’re all asleep now.” Kyou assured Youhei.

“Where is Yoichi?” Youhei asked about his son. He hadn’t got a call from his wife, so he didn’t think anything was wrong, but still…

“He’s asleep with Michiko.” Kyou replied.

“With Michiko? You know… they’re both about to start school. At some point they’re going to have to stop doing that.” Youhei said with a frown. As close as those two were, any attempt to disentangle them would likely be… messy.

“Why? It’s perfectly normal for married couples to sleep in the same bed, isn’t it?” Kyou challenged.

“Hah? Married! They’re only five years old.” Youhei wondered if Kyou had lost her mind… or maybe had too much to drink at the birthday party.

“I know! It was so wonderful. After she blew out the candles on her cake, she said she wished she could be married to Yoichi and your son accepted.” Kyou looked so happy she was even clapping her hands in excitement.

“Augh… more entanglement.” Youhei cringed.

“Huh?” Kyou didn’t understand Youhei’s reaction and wondered if it was something she should be punching him for.

“Never-mind that!” Tomoya showed the ‘emergency’ message on the screen of his phone to Youhei and demanded to know, “What is _this_ all about?”

“Oh yeah. There was a gang of thugs that attacked Tomoyo and Tomoya. Our guys got involved. The thugs were defeated. Kenta and Takeo are hurt but Tomoya has a pretty bad head injury. He’s in surgery now. Takeshi came back covered in blood too, but he looks all right.” Youhei told them.

“Just a minute… you’re saying that the Tomoya… from the other world… is here… now?” Kyou asked in disbelief.

“That’s right.” Youhei smiled. He liked seeing this confused and astonished kind of face on Kyou.

“Is my sister doing the surgery?” Kyou asked. Ryou had been amazing since she started her medical studies, but as far as suddenly having surgical skills, that was a bit too much for Kyou to believe.

“No. One of the hospital surgeons is here for that. Ryou and Tomoyo haven’t come back yet.” Youhei told her.

“Haven’t come back yet? Haven’t come back from _where_ yet?” Kyou demanded while feeling a sinking feeling that she already knew where they went.

“The other world.” Youhei smiled.

“WHAT?” both Tomoya and Kyou gaped.

 

**Friday morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

Much to the surprise of everyone emerging from the park, the metal shutters were closed over the entrance of the Furukawa Bakery.

“Huh? They should be open by now.” Ryou said in confusion.

“They should have been open a long time ago. Unless… we weren’t able to come back to the right universe after all.” the visiting Tomoyo said sadly.

“No… that can’t be right.” Hiroki stepped forward and banged on the metal shutters as if he were knocking on someone’s door. His voice hinted at desperation, but his knocking was actually fairly light.

“Go away! We don’t want any trouble!” a man’s voice yelled out from behind the metal barrier.

“Akio-san? It’s Hiroki! I came back!” Hiroki yelled at the metal wall.

“TEDDY BEAR!” Nagisa’s voice shrieked, then she was heard imploring her father, “It’s Hiroki, you have to let him in!”

“It could be a trick.” Akio told his daughter. He knew it was unlikely, but from the very dangerous sounds that came from the park this morning, he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Akio-san, this is Isamu. How can I convince you that it really is us?” Isamu knew that time was not on their side. If the sounds from the park had been bad enough to make someone like Akio shutter his shop, the police were likely already on their way here.

“Nothing comes to mind.” Akio said. His crumpled cigarette hung from his mouth and his baseball bat was in his hands in case _whoever-it-was_ suddenly burst through the metal shutters.

“Ah! I may not be able to convince you, but I think I can convince Nagisa-chan.” Isamu said after he remembered their last moments on this world the last time they were here.

“Huh? Okay.” Nagisa was more than willing to give them a chance.

“On the night that we left. Did you find four plastic thermoses in the grass?” Isamu crossed his fingers and hoped that the girls that had seen them off, had been inquisitive enough to look around back then.

“Yeah! Kyou and I found them. She said I could keep them because they were probably left for me.” Nagisa chirped excitedly.

“Can you go and get them and show them to your otōsan?” Isamu asked.

“Yes! I’ll be right back!” Nagisa promised.

While Nagisa was gone to look for the thermoses, they started to hear the sounds of the sirens getting closer. The visiting Tomoyo started to worry and wondered if they shouldn’t run back to the target spot in center field.

“Akio-san… when she comes back, you should see Dango’s on those thermoses. If you do, that should be proof that it is us and I really hope you let us in. If you don’t, and the police take us in, Nagisa will never see Hiroki again and that will make both of them sad.” Isamu implored.

“Open the shutters Akio-san.” another female voice said sternly, but it didn’t sound like Sanae.

The group in the street looked around at each other in surprise and came to the same conclusion. _Kyou-chan?_

“But I haven’t seen the thermoses yet.” Akio objected.

“Open them now or I’ll start throwing things!” Kyou shouted.

“All right, all right. Jeez!” Akio yielded.

Outside, the sirens were getting very close when the shutters finally went up and the group quickly came in. As soon as they were all inside, Akio put the shutters back down again and turned to face off with the people he just let into his shop. He once again had his bat in his hands and was ready to respond to any challenge, but he could see several face-offs were already in play.

“Ryou?” Kyou was readying herself to say something snarky to the people she expected to see… but these weren’t quite the people she had expected to see. Her anger started to build then. _What is my little sister doing mixed up with these guys? If they got her in any trouble, I’ll…_

“I think… you need to call me Onee-chan now.” Ryou said with a big smile and a tilt of her head.

“Huh?” Kyou didn’t know what to make of Ryou’s surprising comment.

“Where we come from, it is January of 2011, so I am now four and a half years older than you… imouto-chan.” Ryou said with a challenging raised eyebrow.

“What?” Kyou could not believe what she was hearing, but the self confidence to say that to her meant… “You’re really not… _my_ Ryou, are you?”

While the two Fujibayashi girls got to know each other, another encounter was happening a few meters away where the big, ape-like Hiroki took a few steps forward towards Nagisa who had just returned with two of the four Big Dango Family thermoses. Akio started to interdict but Iwao and Isamu caught him by his shirt and pulled him back.

“He been practicin his confession fer half a yea, Akio-san. Ya ain’t gonna screw it all up fer him now, are ya?” Iwao said quietly.

“No… I guess he is the real Hiroki.” Akio said as the final vestiges of his disbelief fell away. Long ago, Nagisa and Kyou had told him all about the strange night when the four ‘repair men’ had gone back to their world. Of course, it had been hard to believe, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find any holes in their story. And, as if to support their story, none of his neighbors had ever heard of the Community Labor Pool. But their work had been solid and their price had been incredibly low. And then there was the wondrous result of Nagisa finding a friend in Kyou. The lavender haired firecracker had come to work for him shortly after their friendship started. He didn’t pay as much as the sporting goods store where she had been working before, but she said it was okay since she got hit on a lot less in the bakery. And now… he was about to witness another miracle in his daughter’s life. He watched as Hiroki got down on his knees so that he was looking up at the chestnut haired girl. _I wish Sanae was here to see this!_

“Nagisa-chan, I asked the science people if they could find a way to send me back to the same world… just so I could see you again.” Hiroki told her.

“You… you did that for me?” Nagisa sounded excited and yet unsure.

“Yeah. But I did it for me too. You see… I love you, Nagisa-chan.” Hiroki was able to get the words out.

“Heh? Me? Are you sure?” Nagisa couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I have to admit, this is making me pretty jealous.” Ryou quietly confided to Kyou.

“Why would it make _you_ jealous?” Kyou wondered if this other Ryou had a crush on the gorilla-like Hiroki too.

“In my world, I am in a relationship with Nagisa and we have a beautiful little girl.” Ryou said with the warmth she was feeling.

“So they weren’t lying about that either.” Kyou’s amazement took a turn and she gawked as she asked, “Waitaminit… girls can make babies with other girls by 2011?” Kyou asked.

“No, she’s adopted… sort of.” Ryou started to giggle at the idea, but the question brought up the memory of her talk with Nagisa when they discussed the possibility of a parallel universe where the Nagisa might be a male… and the giggling stopped.

“Sort of?” Kyou pressed, “How do you _sort of_ adopt a kid? Isn’t that like being _sort of_ pregnant?”

“It’s complicated…” Ryou was trying to figure out a way to avoid talking about her relationship when they all heard a loud banging sound from the metal shutters and a brusque voice…

“This is the police, could you open up for a moment? We’d like to ask you some questions.”

“Nagisa, take everyone into the house and be very quiet.” Akio whispered. Then turning to the metal shutters, he loudly called out, “Just a minute, I’ll be right there.”

 

**Tuesday late evening, January 4 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

A few hours had gone by since Tomoya and Kyou had arrived at the park. The surgical team was finally done with the other-Tomoya, and the surgeon was in the recovery team’s pergola with a small group of people and a small digital recorder. Tomoya, Kyou, Youhei, and Ryota were quiet while the surgeon spoke into the recorder.

“The skin was torn away from the scalp resulting in a considerable blood loss. There is a compound fracture of the skull where the end of the pipe hit him with great force. We discovered swelling due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage, but there appears to be no damage directly to the brain itself. Treatment required surgery to clean up the damaged area and deal with the subarachnoid hemorrhage. Recovery symptoms may include reduced concentration, irritability, tiredness, memory problems, headaches, anxiety, trouble thinking, dizziness, blurred or double vision, and sensitivity to light. The patient appears otherwise healthy and should make a full recovery in four to six months.” the Surgeon reported.

“How soon will he regain consciousness?” Kyou asked.

“Best case – within the hour. Worst case – possibly several days. It’s hard to tell with head trauma’s. And, if it does take several days, that should not be seen as an indicator that the patient’s recovery will be difficult.” the surgeon explained.

“Is there any reason we can’t send him back to his world in eighteen hours?” Tomoya asked.

“Of course, I would normally recommend a hospital stay with observation, but under the circumstances… it should be possible.” the surgeon allowed.

“This recording will be sent to the team in the other world. Is there any other message you would like to send across?” Ryota asked the doctor.

“I understand that this Okazaki Tomoya is in a relationship with Sakagami Tomoyo. Sakagami-san, there will be some written instructions for care on his person, when he is sent back. You should follow those instructions to the letter if you want him to recover as quickly as possible.” and with that, the surgeon slid an envelope across the table to the Tomoya in front of him.

“Thank you very much!” Tomoya gave the surgeon a deep bow and accepted the envelope. Kyou and Youhei bowed with him but Ryota was switching off the recording device and making a hasty exit to get the voice data back to the tech guys.

 

A few minutes later, Tomoya, Kyou, and Youhei were also heading back to the Exploration Team’s pergola. The air was cold and crisp. It was a new moon, so the stars were bright in the sky overhead, but the park grounds were dark. Youhei led their way with a flashlight as they crossed the familiar outfield.

“Well… there’s not much else to do tonight. You two should go home and get some sleep.” Youhei told his friends.

“Hmm? Why does it sound like you’re not heading home?” Kyou pried.

“I will soon. I just want to be around in an hour when they send that message. They say it’s possible there may be an incoming message as well.” Youhei told the couple.

“Maybe we should stick around too. School is still out…” Kyou started rationalizing.

“Oh no you don’t. You may not have school, but you have four kids that will be up early tomorrow!” by mentioning that they had four kids, Youhei reminded them that his son was at their house overnight.

“Oh yeah. There is that.” Kyou admitted.

“I need to grab my laptop from the pergola.” Tomoya said as he trotted off to the far side of the baseball field.

“What’s wrong Kyou?” Youhei asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Kyou tried to downplay the question with a smile that she didn’t feel.

“You’re not sitting close to him. You’re not holding hands with him. Are you even sleeping in the same bed?” Youhei asked.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Kyou said crossly.

“I’ve known him longer than you have. I was his friend back when you only thought of him as an irritating delinquent. If there is something wrong with you, then there is something wrong with your marriage, and that means it’s got to be hurting him. You may be married to him now, but he’s still my friend – and I care about him.” Youhei said quietly but firmly.

“Youhei…” Kyou was thinking seriously of hitting him like she used to back in High School. She had forgotten how intuitive he was, and had let something show that she had desperately trying to conceal.

“But Kyou, the truth is… I care about you too. A lot of us do. And I’m not the only one that’s noticed… that something is troubling you.” Youhei confided.

_not the only one that’s noticed_

“It’s that obvious?” Kyou felt crestfallen. She had thought she was doing a much better job hiding her troublesome feelings.

“To those of us that know you well… and are observant enough.” Youhei said with a half smile.

“Youhei… there is something bothering me, but… I don’t feel comfortable talking to you about it.” Kyou told him.

“Hey…” Youhei thought she was trying to pick on him with her answer.

“I’m not trying to be mean. I probably feel that way because you are Tomoya’s close friend.” Kyou explained when she saw that she had hurt his feelings. “At the same time… I don’t know what to do.”

“Talk to Yukine.” Youhei said simply as he spotted Tomoya on his way back with his laptop.

“I’ll think about it.” Kyou said reluctantly.

“Don’t think about it. Do it!” he told her firmly, then called out to his approaching friend, “Hey Tomoya, you got plans for tomorrow?”

“No, why?” Tomoya asked.

“I was thinking about coming over and hanging out with you and the kids while Yukine and Kyou go do some girl stuff.” Youhei suggested.

“That sounds great!” Tomoya accepted.

Kyou looked at Youhei crossly for a moment, but her expression changed to acceptance when she realized that he was doing this for her.

The friends parted ways in the park, hoping that the next day would be one without any more surprises.

 

**Friday late morning, July 28 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

While most everyone was around the Furukawa’s table talking and having a breakfast of pastries and coffee, the bakery remained shuttered and closed. Akio had successfully persuaded the police that he, along with several of his neighbors, had heard the awful clash and had decided to play it safe. He told them that, until the police cleaned up their ‘crime scene’ his shop would remain closed.

“Ah, Hiroki. You should pull out your new toy.” Isamu prompted his friend.

“I can’t right now. Can you pull it out for me?” Hiroki had his shirt off and Ryou was carefully looking him over with her stethoscope and a portable ultrasound machine. She was concerned when she heard that the attackers had hit him in the back and several of them had kicked him in his ribs. Fortunately, his determination to protect Tomoya’s body by shielding it with his own, meant that the additional blows didn’t hit the injury in the front of his chest that he was still recovering from.

“Yeah, I guess you can’t.” Isamu laughed and was about to reach for the bag that had the transmitter in it, when Tomoyo stopped him.

“Let me get it. You haven’t had a lot of luck handling these things.” she gave a little jab at his history of breaking both the prototype and the display model by handling it too roughly.

“It’s pretty!” Nagisa said when she saw the reflective golden orb.

“What is it?” Akio asked while Tomoyo unfolded the third leg and set it up in the middle of the table for them all to see.

“To put it simply, It is a device that takes a voice recording and holds it in memory until it receives a trigger signal. Then it transmits the stored message. It can also receive a message and play it back. Currently, it’s how the exploration teams will give us their progress reports.”

“But this one was made for Hiroki to keep here.” Isamu added.

“Keep here?” Akio looked at the device but it was Isamu’s words that affected him more, “So, Hiroki is planning to stay?”

There was silence in the room and Isamu knew that he had just stepped on a land mine. But all was not lost.

“That is certainly one possibility.” Tomoyo had known the Akio from her world for a long time and knew how to play him. It was an opportunity that she decided to take full advantage of now. “Hiroki has spent a lot of time learning how to bake so that he can be useful to you here. But if you are opposed to the idea, we can go back to our universe with Nagisa so that she can be with the man she loves. But don’t worry… you can still keep in touch with her through this communications orb.”

“I…” Akio was stunned. He hadn’t meant to seem so opposed to Hiroki staying and now the alternative seemed to involve his daughter running off to another universe! Panic started to show in his face as he looked from his excited daughter to the orb, and back to this evil Tomoyo woman.

“Did I mention that our Akio has been teaching Hiroki how to play baseball and he’s getting pretty good at it?” Tomoyo commented when she thought poor Akio’s mental state was at it’s most desperate.

“Hiroki stays!” Akio declared.

“Really?” Nagisa rejoiced. Even if she did love Hiroki, she didn’t like the idea of leaving home. But, most importantly it meant that her teddy bear could stay with her.

“Well, who am I to stand in the way of true love?” Akio said magnanimously as he shrugged his shoulders.

“And getting another good baseball player had nothing to do with it?” Kyou snarked.

While the others were having their conversation, Iwao was concerned about the swarm of cops outside. He knew better than to make a foray into the park with that much official attention in the area, but there was another way…

“Uh, Akio-san. Ah needs ta be in yer bedroom fer a bit.” Iwao casually asked. He actually had a practical reason, but the request was odd and he drew stares from everyone.

“Pervert.” Kyou said with disgust.

“Iwao?” even Tomoyo wondered what he was up to.

“Ah no. Ain’t nuthin like dat. His bedroom has da best view of da park. Ah jus wanna see whas goin on over dere. I mean… all dem cops.” Iwao explained with a bit of a blush. “Ah guess ah shudda splained dat first.”

“You won’t be able to see much. The sun will be in your eyes at this time of day.” Akio warned.

“Dat won be a problem.” Iwao said as he touched the side of his hat. Instantly, the visor popped down in front of his eyes. The others could see that it was mildly shaded, but a few in the room knew that it could do quite a bit more than dim the sunlight.

“The visor is linked to several small sensors built into the cap. It provides image enhancement and augments the image using a wide spectrum camera. It also gives us the ability to see the light baubles that appear whenever we enter or leave a world.”

“Ah!” Nagisa looked at Tomoyo excitedly.

“Sure, go for it. But don’t touch anything!” Akio said sternly. Iwao wasn’t one of the guys he had met when the visitors had come the last time and he didn’t feel the same level of trust with the gangster sounding man… even if Isamu and Hiroki did vouch for his character.

“What is it Nagisa?” Kyou asked her excited friend as Iwao left the table.

“The light baubles you were talking about! What do they look like?” Nagisa asked the visiting Tomoyo.

“Without the glasses on, we can’t see them at all. But with the glasses, they look a little like the glow from fireflies but brighter and whiter. At first they’re just bobbing a little above the grass, but more of them appear and they move faster as the countdown reaches zero. Then they rush together and fly up into the sky.” Tomoyo recounted her many observations of the strange phenomena.

“That’s it Kyou-chan! That’s what I saw that night when they all left. Do you remember?” Nagisa cried out as she shook Kyou’s arm in excitement. Kyou had been there with her when the four visitors had returned to their world the last time, but hadn’t seen the light baubles herself.

“Yeah, I do remember you going on about something, but I couldn’t see it. And… come to think of it, I remember thinking those guys were stupid for wearing visors in the dark.” Kyou said with a little laugh.

“That would make sense.” Tomoyo said, “In our world, only Tomoya and Nagisa can see the light baubles without the special vision enhancement.”

“I wonder if Ushio can see them without aid?” Ryou wondered.

“Who is Ushio?” Kyou asked.

“She’s my adopted daughter, but she is the child of Tomoya and Nagisa.” Ryou explained her reasoning for her supposition that Ushio might be able to see the baubles.

“WHAT?” Kyou, Nagisa, Akio, and Tomoyo from the local world all cried out.

“She’s from another world we visited where Tomoya had married Nagisa. You see… not every world we visit is the same.” Isamu explained.

“I married the delinquent that dropped a wash basin on my head? What’s wrong with me?” Nagisa wondered.

“I promise never to do that to you.” Hiroki said with conviction, “And if anyone else does it to you, I’ll squash ‘em!”

“ _We’ll_ squash ‘em!” Akio added his voice to the promise.

“Ah, thank you.” Nagisa blushed. She was used to her dad making silly dramatic statements, but to see Hiroki doing it to was both embarrassing and thrilling to her.

“You’re both being ridiculous.” Kyou chided, but she looked at the hat that Isamu was wearing and her thoughts returned to the previous discussion for a moment. She had always wondered what it was that had scared and excited Nagisa so much that night. “So, do those things work for anyone? Would I be able to see the light things?”

“Actually… I was able to see them with this.” the local Tomoyo spoke up for the first time since entering the bakery, as she held out the disposable glasses that the visiting Tomoyo had given her back in the park. Having borrowed some clothes from Nagisa, she was no longer covered in blood, but she was still down from the memory of seeing him so grievously injured.

“Wow, so that was true too. I really thought Nagisa and Kyou were sharing some kind of weird fantasy when they told me what they saw. But… I guess it’s all real after all.” Akio stared at the disposable lenses, then looked up towards his room where Iwao should be, “I hope that hat is helping him to see something useful now.”

 

Up in the bedroom, Iwao stood still as a rock while he watched the happenings in the park. It was a precaution against being seen by others. With the morning sun blasting into the room, it was a valid concern. By staying very still, he would minimize the risk of someone noticing his presence. His own view wasn’t too bad either. The auto polarization turned the lenses almost completely black since he was facing the sun. But the other sensors were giving him a picture better than his own eyesight even in the best lighting conditions. He could see people moving around from their heat signatures even though they were on the other side of bushes and leafy trees. The cops were still all over the park and probably would be for a while. And the reason for it was showing up on his visor too.

There were several immobile bodies in the park that were slowly losing their heat signatures. Doing a quick tally in his head, he knew that at least twelve of the attackers had died at the hands of Isamu, Takeshi, Takeo, Kenta, and himself. None of that concerned him though. After tomorrow, no law enforcement on this world would be able to find them. Hiroki hadn’t been responsible for any of the mayhem, so he should be safe. But Tomoyo…

The local Tomoyo had become unhinged with rage when she thought her Tomoya was going to die. For the first time in her life, she showed no restraint and her vigorous defense had ended a few of her attackers with those powerful kicks. _Defense… I wonder if the cops would believe this was self defense?_ Forgetting his usual distaste for cops, Iwao wished he could talk to Sunohara now. _He might know what t_ _a_ _do._ _All ah knows now is dat we shouldn’t leave dis house till everyting dies down out dere._

Iwao ruminated through those thoughts for a while as he watched the park. Unfortunately, for all the time he spent thinking about the problems at hand, he wasn’t able to come up with any solutions. However, it did give him the opportunity to organize his thoughts so he could explain his concerns to The Boss… as soon as he could. For now though, there were two cops at the edge of the park looking his way. Rather, they were probably looking at the more senior cop that was standing in front of them and giving instructions – but he couldn’t take the chance that they wouldn’t notice the motion and become curious. But standing still as a stone was something he was good at, and he put that odd skill to use until it looked safe to slip away and rejoin the others downstairs.

 

“What kind of message should we send?” Nagisa asked Hiroki who was now sitting next to her.

“Can I tell everyone that Nagisa accepted my confession?” Hiroki seemed unusually excited, and the rare look on his face was amazing his friends. Aside from the thrill of sitting next to his beloved Nagisa, he was glad that he was finally finished being examined by Ryou and had a shirt on again.

Ryou, for her part, was having a hard time watching Nagisa holding hands and flirting with Hiroki.

“Sorry Hiroki, but ah think wer gonna havta send a mo serious message.” Iwao said as he came back into the room.

“Is it bad?” Tomoyo asked.

“Thays cops all over da place. We…” Iwao noticed the little indicator light was on and asked, “Did ya already make a message?”

“No. Why?” Hiroki asked.

“The light is on. Does that mean there’s a message for us?” Kyou noticed what Iwao had been looking at.

“Lets hear our first message?” Hiroki pointed to the button and asked Nagisa, “Would you like to do it?”

“Yes!” Nagisa chirped and pressed the button that her new boyfriend had indicated. As soon as she did, the device played back a voice that the visitors in the room all recognized.

“The following message is from the lead surgeon that worked on Okazaki Tomoya.” Ryota’s voice announced.

All eyes in the room moved to the local Tomoyo who was now looking intently at the golden orb device.

“The skin was torn away from the scalp resulting in a considerable blood loss. There is a compound fracture of the skull where the end of the pipe hit him with great force. We discovered swelling due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage, but there appears to be no damage directly to the brain itself. Treatment required surgery to clean up the damaged area and deal with the subarachnoid hemorrhage.”

… _considerable blood loss, fracture of the skull, hemorrhage, surgery…_

The words echoed in the local Tomoyo’s head, fueling her downward spiral of fear and sadness. As they continued to listen to the message, she felt the visiting Tomoyo pull her into a comforting hug. She hoped it wasn’t a sympathy hug before she heard something terrible.

“Recovery symptoms may include reduced concentration, irritability, tiredness, memory problems, headaches, anxiety, trouble thinking, dizziness, blurred or double vision, and sensitivity to light. The patient appears otherwise healthy and should make a full recovery in four to six months.” the message continued.

“How soon will he regain consciousness?” Kyou’s voice came from the device.

“Hey, that’s me!” the Kyou at the table was surprised to hear her own voice coming from the device… indeed from another world.

“Best case – within the hour. Worst case – possibly several days. It’s hard to tell with head trauma’s. And, if it does take several days, that should not be seen as an indicator that the patient’s recovery will be difficult.” the surgeon’s voice said.

“Is there any reason we can’t send him back to his world in eighteen hours?” Tomoya’s voice now came from the device.

“Tomoya!” Tomoyo looked up hopefully at the device.

“Of course, I would normally recommend a hospital stay with observation, but under the circumstances… it should be possible.”

“This recording will be sent to the team in the other world. Is there any other message you would like to send across?” Ryota asked the doctor in the recording.

“I understand that this Okazaki Tomoya is in a relationship with Sakagami Tomoyo. Sakagami-san, there will be some written instructions for care on his person, when he is sent back. You should follow those instructions to the letter if you want him to recover as quickly as possible.” the surgeon said.

“Thank you very much!” Tomoya’s voice came once again, and the recording ended.

“That… that Tomoya that I heard. He wasn’t my Tomoya was he?” Tomoyo asked as she pulled away from the visiting Tomoyo.

“No. In our world, Tomoya is married to Kyou. But I am a good friend to both of them.” Tomoyo said earnestly.

“Married!” Kyou jumped up from the table, “The last time you guys were here, you said I was _in a relationship_ with Tomoya. You didn’t say anything about being married to him.”

“The last time we were here, you weren’t.” Isamu said unhappily. Indeed, all the visitors seemed suddenly saddened.

“Is me marrying Tomoya really so terrible? You all act like it was a funeral rather than a marriage.” Kyou demanded.

“It… was both.” Isamu said.

“Huh?” Kyou and the others from the local world were confused.

“Something terrible happened in our universe, since the last time we were here.” Tomoyo began. She would spend the next several hours telling the story of another world around the Furukawa table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> .
> 
>  **Imouto** : little sister
> 
>  **Iwao** : stone man
> 
>  **Otōsan** : father
> 
>  **Takeshi** : fierce, violent warrior
> 
>   
> 


	5. Nothing Goes as Planned

**Friday afternoon, July 28 th 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

Sanae noticed that something was odd when she got to the street that led to her house. There were police cars parked along the street and entrances to the park were taped off. She wondered what was going on, but not enough to bother the police doing their job. After all, she would be home soon and her husband and daughter would be able to fill her in…

The store's front was shuttered. Panic gripped Sanae's heart and she worried that Nagisa's strange illness had come back. Running around to the back door, she rushed in to find… a lot of people she didn't know in her house. One that she did know was Kyou, who was seated at the table and chatting with two young women that looked like they could be twins with their platinum blond hair. Her panic dropped almost completely when she saw that Kyou was having a relaxing chat and didn't seem to be concerned about anything at the moment.

“Kyou-chan… what's going on? Where is Akio?” her panic for Nagisa's health may be gone, but her concern about the bakery being shuttered was still present.

“Ah, welcome home Sanae-san!” Kyou pointed off toward the bakery and said, “Akio is in the bakery moving one of the ovens with… a couple of repair guys.”

“And Nagisa?” Sanae asked just to be sure that everything was still okay with her daughter.

“She's fine. She's upstairs with her fiancé.” Kyou was able to say with a straight face.

“Oh… her what?” Sanae stopped in her tracks and stared at Kyou rather than continuing on to the bakery as she had planned.

“Please Sanae, allow me.” the visiting Tomoyo stood and approached her as if she were an old friend. “Have Nagisa and Kyou ever told you a wild story about seeing four men leave for another world?”

“Yes… she called one of them Teddy Bear.” Sanae admitted, but didn't see how this was relevant.

“My name is Sakagami Tomoyo, and I am from that other world. I am actually… her.” Tomoyo gestured at the other platinum blond at the table and beckoned her over.

“O really?” Sanae said politely but didn't believe a word of it. She didn't think Nagisa was the sort to play tricks, but she was beginning to wonder if her husband and Kyou were trying to play a joke on her.

“I know that you don't believe me, so let me tell you about something that happened in my past. Something that brought you and me together to be friends. I was two years behind Nagisa in school, but we had some mutual acquaintances. Through them I met you when you used to work in the bakery. But the things you made were inedible and some were actually dangerous.”

“Ah!” Sanae felt the stab from that comment. Since Nagisa had dropped out of High School and could help out at the bakery, that had been the excuse for her to return to teaching. But the real reason had been that she was never any good at it and it was true that some of the things she made were… dangerous. This no longer felt like a joke. It dredged up bad memories and it hurt. Sanae was tempted to ask this woman to leave, when she unexpectedly took Sanae's hands and smiled at her.

“But that all changed when we worked together.” Tomoyo told her.

“It did?” Sanae's mood altered with a brief hope that this meant she actually made something edible.

“Do you remember trying to make a pastry with a whole apple inside it?” Tomoyo asked.

“Yes.” Sanae said dejectedly. That attempt hadn't been dangerous, but it had been yet another failure nonetheless.

“You and I reworked that idea and made something so delicious that every autumn it is one of the most popular pastries.” Tomoyo told the woman and watched a surprised smile bloom on her face.

“It is?” Sanae sounded astounded.

“It is so sought after that people come here from several towns over to buy them.” Tomoyo smiled as she watched the tears of happiness form in the familiar eyes.

“Before noon tomorrow I will be going home, but there is good news.” the visiting Tomoyo said as she turned Sanae to face the local and slightly younger version of herself. “This Tomoyo is from your world, and the young man that is upstairs with your daughter has memorized all of our successful recipes.

“He has? …waitaminit… what young man?” Sanae's thrill was threatened by the thought of a man upstairs with her innocent daughter.

“Nagisa's Teddy Bear has returned. He has declared his love for Nagisa and she has accepted.” Tomoyo said it quickly and bluntly, but it was something that needed to be done. “Since he is from our universe, he will need to be staying here. It is very likely that they will get married soon, but the important thing for them is to know that they have your support.”

“Oh… I…” Sanae was stunned by all this.

“Are you going to just believe all of this?” Kyou laughed

“Kyou-chan, do not interfere with Nagisa's happiness.” Ryou said evenly.

“Or what? You're going to go back to your world tomorrow too, right? I don't see how you can make any demands...” Kyou was cut off by Ryou picking up the handset of the phone in the room.

“I can call Okāsan and let her know that I've changed my mind and I think it's a good idea for her to get a Nakodo for us. We're done with high school now and it's about time that we settle down, give up on childish dreams, and start our own families.”

“Ack!” Kyou's mouth hung open and she stared wide eyed at this other-world version of her sister. Uncharacteristically meek, Kyou asked, “What makes you think that Okāsan is thinking about a Nakodo for us?”

“I am from a parallel universe whose time-line is farther along than yours, so I have the benefit of hindsight. I don't _think_ she is considering it. I _know_ she is considering it.” Ryou was bluffing a little bit here. There was a very high probability that the mother in this world was thinking about hiring a matchmaker for her daughters – just as she had in Ryou's world, but nothing was completely certain. There was a chance Kyou would figure out that her sister wasn’t entirely sure of her claim. Then again, Ryou wasn’t the meek little sister she had been either…

“All right, fine.” Kyou raised her hands as if surrendering, “I'll play nice. For the record, Sanae-san – I believe them too.”

Tomoyo watched the interactions with all of this world’s versions of the people that she was familiar with from back home… and noticed several differences. _Th_ _is_ _local Nagisa never finished high school or developed her social skills and_ _i_ _s a bit more… childlike. Akio_ _i_ _s about the same, but Sanae seem_ _s_ _more desperate and cautious… but also more hopeful._ _She is probably worried for her daughter’s future._ _And Kyou…_ _This_ _Kyou_ _i_ _s like_ _the one I knew_ _back in high school –_ _but before the accident_ _._ _She is still_ _arrogant and high spirited._ _She talks louder, laughs louder, and is brash and abrasive like someone who… had never almost killed the person she loved with a textbook. This Kyou has never been tempered._

 _If the accident with Tomoya was unique to our world… or unique to Kotomi-worlds, it is possible that the majority of the Kyou’s encountered will be like this, rather than like our own._ Ever the tactician, Tomoyo evaluated the options and decided on a best tactic to reduce the erratic effects of Kyou’s chaotic behavior in the future. _She is the kind of person who is on the defensive against everyone unless there is a singular frustration that she can focus her negativity on._ _She needs… a foil. Hmm… I wonder if Kenta could pull it off?_

 

**Wednesday morning, January 5 th 2011 – City Hall**

* * *

Nothing ever goes as planned. Youhei had wanted to give Yukine and Kyou some time to talk in a peaceful environment. He was thinking of a coffee shop or shopping, or even while getting a manicure. His only role to facilitate this would be to hang out with Tomoya and watch the kids while the mommies were away. Instead, the opposite had happened.

Tomoya and Youhei had been summoned to City Hall along with Kobayashi Jun, so the girls were left to take care of all the children at the Ichinose house. It was doubtful they would get any time for a meaningful conversation, but there was always a chance.

Youhei shook his head and concentrated on where he was at the moment. It wouldn’t be good to be caught daydreaming about what his wife was doing – in front of the Mayor, the head Prosecutor, the local Chief of Police, and the prefectural Chief of Detectives. Especially not when the conversation was getting heated.

“When these people come back, I want them all arrested for murder!” the prosecutor yelled.

“You can do that, but it will be an unwinnable case.” Tomoya countered.

“Oh, so suddenly you are a criminal lawyer?” the prosecutor sneered.

“No, but even a layman who watches the occasional crime drama knows that the prosecution needs to show evidence of a crime to win a case. Where is your evidence?”

“My evidence is right there!” the prosecutor pointed to the laptop that had just finished playing the video from the fight that had happened the previous day… in another universe.

“The video?” Tomoya smiled, “I can show you a video of a lightning bolt shooting dinosaur destroying Tokyo, but I’m pretty sure even the best crime scene investigators won’t be able to find any evidence of the attack.”

“What are you saying?” the prosecutor demanded.

“If you take this to trial, you will show this video to the judge and the jury, correct?” Tomoya asked.

“Yes.” the prosecutor thought for a moment that the brash young man might be thinking of deleting the video to protect his friends, but he had an ace up his sleeve. He had already secured a copy of the video from the laptop before the meeting started.

“After you do that, the defense will ask the local police and perhaps Detective Sunohara here if they recognize the park in the video. They will say that they do and they will identify it on a map. Then they will be asked if they were at the park at the time that the video was made, and they will answer that they were there. Then they will be asked if they remember seeing any such fight take place, and they will not recall seeing the alleged fight in the park. Furthermore, crime scene specialists will be asked to make a thorough investigation of the park and they will have no evidence to support the story that a deadly fight took place. Finally, you will be asked to produce the bodies, murder weapons, or any corroborating witnesses.” Tomoya and the others in the room watched the prosecutor for a response, but he said nothing while his face mottled in anger.

“Aside from Okazaki-san’s argument, there is the question of jurisdiction.” the Chief of Police commented. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I only have funding and manpower to enforce the law in _this_ Japan in _this_ universe. The professor says there are potentially an infinite number of Japan’s in parallel universes… That may be, but I don’t believe my mandate extends beyond this reality.”

“Then, you’re saying that it should be okay to send criminals to other Japans to murder, steal, and do whatever they please, then come back here and be immune from any prosecution?” the prosecutor screeched.

“Now just a minute…” the Mayor didn’t want to get involved in a heated fight, but he knew how disappointed Sakagami-san would be when she got back, if he did nothing when the reputation of _her boys_ were besmirched. But he was saved from that fracas by a knock at the door.

The policeman at the door opened it a little to see the credentials, then opened it all the way to admit the two gentlemen who had just come in from Tokyo.

“Okazaki-san, how good to see you again!” the Secretary of the New Komeito party cheered and bowed in greeting.

“Mr. Secretary, you didn’t need to come all the way out here.” Tomoya was, for the first time, actually glad to see these two. This meeting hadn’t been getting anywhere because of all the political posturing and there was still a lot to do.

“It’s nothing! I’ve been wanting to come out to see how things were holding up. And, from the reports I’ve seen, it has been very exciting around here!” the Secretary seemed to almost be cheering.

“I don’t think we should be so happy about a flagrant act of violence perpetrated by these…” the prosecutor started onto his rant again but was cut short by the new arrival.

“I couldn’t agree with you more! I’m sure every one of you knows the principles that the New Komeito party stands on, and we have no sympathy for gratuitous violence or those who would bully the weak. That is why I was so excited to get a copy of the video you sent me.” the gushing secretary paused to thank Tomoya and continued, “To see some of our own outstanding citizens responding to the evil of gang violence, to protect the injured, and go to the rescue, even when they were terribly outnumbered. It was a welcome sight in these times when news reports tell us that our parks and streets aren’t safe at night.”

“So… that’s how you see it?” the prosecutor was getting ready to launch into his tirade once again.

“Not just me. That’s how the Minister of Justice sees it too. In fact, I also come to you with this message from him.” the Secretary raised and opened his hand. The taller, thinner, and dour looking man behind him, placed a rolled up piece of rice paper in the shorter man’s hand while he glared at the prosecutor.

The prosecutor accepted the paper from the Secretary and opened the scroll to find a haiku.

“In this world of dreams,  
drifting off still more;  
and once again speaking  
and dreaming of dreams.  
Just let it be.”

“You should show it to everyone.” the Secretary said cheerfully, “The Minister’s calligraphy is quite beautiful, as was Ryokan Taigu’s. And the appropriateness of this particular poem is magnificent.”

“Yes… yes, of course.” the prosecutor agreed as he reread the passage. He had heard the poem before but hadn’t paid particular attention to it. Now, he was wracking his brain – trying to remember what message or idea it was supposed to convey. It did occur to him to inquire of the Minister himself, but to admit to such a failing…

“Now that the message has been delivered, I assume that all talk of recrimination is dispensed with. Let us focus our minds on the true task that is before us, shall we?” the Secretary said politely then turned to Tomoya and asked, “Okazaki-san, could I trouble you to give a quick summary of the situation as it exists now? I believe it would help to focus our attention to that which truly needs to be addressed and insure we are all on the same page.”

“Thank you Mr. Secretary. The situation now is…” Tomoya rattled off the latest update for the men in the room. The chief concern, now that the prosecutor had been silenced, was the recovery of their people from the other world. This time, there was no problem on their own side. But the park on the other world was crawling with crime scene investigators and police. Other than revealing themselves to the officials in the other world, they were trying to think of any other way they could help in this situation.

 

**Wednesday afternoon, January 5 th 2011 – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

“Nothing ever goes as planned, does it?” Kyou said to Yukine when they finally got a break from watching the children all morning. After having their lunch, all of the children went down for a nap with Sugisaka watching them in the dojo.

“That’s right. We were supposed to get a day to ourselves, weren’t we?” Yukine commented as she poured some more tea into Kyou’s mug.

“Yeah… a girl’s day out.” Kyou said wistfully as she looked at the swirls in her tea. It wasn’t that she had really been craving a girl’s day out, but she had begun to hope that Youhei might be right and talking about what was bothering her might help. But now, bringing up that conversation seemed impossible.

“I suppose my husband wanted us to talk about your feelings of guilt regarding your marriage with Tomoya?” Yukine asked as casually as if she were commenting on the weather.

 _PFWHHHT!_ Kyou sprayed the tea from her mouth all over the table. Then she gasped, “Did he tell you?”

“No, but that does seem to be what has been bothering you the most.” Yukine said calmly as she wiped up the spilled tea from the table with a cloth she already had in her hand.

“How did you know?” Kyou asked.

“Please,” Yukine laughed, “It’s just intuition. But to us, it’s _so_ obvious. It’s like you’re wearing a big flashing sign.”

“You and Youhei are too intuitive for your own good.” Kyou grumped.

“Actually, I believes it serves us rather well. But if it is too much for you, I won’t make any more observations about you.” Yukine conceded.

“No no… I didn’t mean it that way. And… I do need to talk about that.” Kyou fretted for a moment and added, “I guess you think I’m being pretty dumb, huh?”

“Maybe a bit.” Yukine said over her tea cup.

“Huh?” Kyou looked up, stunned.

“Ah, you were expecting me to be sympathetic and disagree, weren’t you?” Yukine asked.

“Well… yeah.” Kyou felt like she had been stung again by Yukine calling her out on trying to throw a pity party.

“I would like to, but it is very difficult. After all, you have so much going for you. It is only in your mind where there are any problems.” Yukine sounded exasperated.

“What… what do you mean?” Kyou asked. She was feeling a little defensive about these comments, but she wanted to know what Yukine thought she had going for her. From her own perspective, it all seemed so dark.

“You have a husband that loves you, and you love him. You have three children that love you like a mother. Your education program is going well. All of you have your health.” Yukine ticked off the positive points.

“But Kotomi…” Kyou started to object.

“Ah yes, even there – you are lucky.” Yukine said, “You were personally selected by the former wife and mother to replace her, should anything happen. One might go as far as to say that she groomed you for the position.”

“What?” Kyou gaped.

“Think about it. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for most step-parents to establish a relationship with the children of their new spouse? Kotomi made sure you were known and loved by her children from their very first day, didn’t she?” Yukine asked.

“Yes.” Kyou couldn’t deny any of that.

“She even made sure that you breast fed her children with her, to make sure your bond with them was strong.” Yukine pushed, “Didn’t she?”

“I… I wasn’t aware that you knew about that.” Kyou mumbled as she looked down at her hands.

“Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how proud Kotomi was of you?” Yukine waited until Kyou looked up to continue, “She told me all about it while she showed me a picture album of her children’s early years.

“She… she didn’t…” Kyou felt the blood drain from her face as her mind raced to imagine what kinds of pictures Kotomi chose to put into that album.

“My favorite was one of you feeding Michiko. Her little hand was grasping your thumb and the two of you were looking into each other’s eyes. It was so beautiful!” Yukine sighed at the memory of the lovely picture.

“Oh… no.” Kyou got a mild headache as her face plunged from aghast white to blush red.

“What do I do, Yukine?” Kyou’s hair fell all around the tea cup as she rested her face in her hands.

“You’re already doing most of what Kotomi wanted you to do. Even if it is from a sense of duty instead of love – you did marry Tomoya and you are now the mother of his children.” Yukine told her.

“Duty? But I do love them!” Kyou objected.

“I know you do. But did you comply with Kotomi’s wishes because of your love, or because you were obliged to fulfill Kotomi’s wish?” Yukine pointed out.

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.” the acknowledgment made Kyou feel sad, but it was the truth nonetheless. But something else that Yukine said, had prickled her curiosity too, “Most… You said that I’ve already done _most_ of what Kotomi wanted me to do. But I complied with all her wishes. What else does she want of me?”

“Kyou-chan… she wants you to be happy.” Yukine told the lavender haired girl earnestly.

 

**Sunday early morning, July 30 th 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

“We got a message. Also, Hiroki and Nagisa are back.” the voice came into Isamu’s ear as he lay on the roof of the Furukawa Bakery and watched the park across the street. It was now just after midnight on their second day on this world, and the local cops were still patrolling the park fairly often. He would be glad when these extra patrols stopped and they could safely go back into the park.

But, hearing that Hiroki and Nagisa were back had given him at least a little relief from the stress. They hadn’t exactly gone on any high risk mission, but they had gone some distance away. Nagisa had taken Hiroki to the next prefecture over so that he could buy one of their lottery tickets. It wasn’t one of the Jumbo tickets that got a lot of attention. The grand prize on this one would be only fifty million yen. But it was a good test to see if Melissa’s numbers were going to work here. The lottery would be over at the end of the month… which was tomorrow. So, there was a good chance they would know how closely the numbers matched before the teams returned home. For now though, it was time to hear the message and prepare the next one.

 

Gathered around the table were both of the Tomoyo’s, Isamu, and Hiroki with Nagisa sleeping next to him. The others were getting some sleep. With a nod from Tomoyo, Isamu reached out and pushed the button. Youhei’s nasally voice came across clearly.

 

“Hey guys, there are some time effects they warned me about so it is eight o’clock at night here on the fifth of January. And, if the math geniuses got it right, you should be getting this message after midnight on July the thirtieth. Because of restrictions and agreements, we will only be able to check in with you at eight at night, and then six the following morning… our time. Once again, if the math geniuses got it right, the several windows will be…”

Youhei rattled off several dates and times over the next five days while people around the table were scrambling to get something to take notes with. By the time Tomoyo was ready to take notes, Youhei was done – so they decided to just play the message again to record the times. They listened as Youhei rambled on.

“I know that most of those times aren’t good for sending Tomoya to you or getting you guys back here. So, we’re hoping that all the fuss dies down there by August the third.” Youhei’s voice sounded a little apologetic, effectively having to tell them that they had to sit tight and wait for a while.

“In other news, Tomoya is doing well at the hospital. He’s not awake yet, but the doctor’s are saying it is only a matter of time. When he does wake up, I don’t know if he’s gonna believe the story we tell him. Well, good luck you guys.”

 

The recording ended and for a moment, they all sat and just looked at the orb in the middle of the table. The first sound that anyone made was the soft sobbing from the local Tomoyo. She had barely been able to eat and hadn’t slept since the dreadful attack in the park. The visiting Tomoyo pulled her younger self into an embrace and patted her head while she cried.

“What if… what if he never wakes up?” the local Tomoyo cried.

“He’ll wake up.” the older Tomoyo said confidently, “You see Ryou there? In our world, she personally saved Tomoya’s life when they were back in high school. Everyone trusts her with medical stuff, and she trusts the surgeon that worked on Tomoya. So, just put your trust in her and believe that you will hear from him soon. Okay?”

“She saved his life in high school? What happened to him then?” the local Tomoyo was suddenly more interested in the lavender haired girl.

“Interestingly enough… it was also blunt force trauma to the head.” The elder Tomoyo had a lopsided grin at the odd coincidence then said, “But he recovered just fine. So, don’t worry too much for Tomoya. Next to Sunohara Youhei, he takes a blow to the head better than anyone else that I know.”

“Youhei…” Tomoyo said in disgust.

“I understand that your Youhei might have left a bad impression on you, but he became a very dependable person in our universe… and a good friend. So… I would appreciate it if you would keep that in mind.” Tomoyo said to her younger self.

The younger Tomoyo looked at her older self with incredulity bordering on absurdity. The idea that Youhei could progress beyond ‘just annoying’ was beyond her. But, she recognized his voice on the recording so it was obvious that they did know each other.

“How is it looking up top?” Tomoyo asked while trying not to laugh at her younger self’s bewildered expression.

“They’ve cleared all the bodies away, and taken down all the crime scene tape… but they’re still doing a lot of patrols through there.” Isamu told her.

“Well… that’s something.” Tomoyo thought about it for a moment and decided, “Tomorrow, I’m going to ask Akio-san to go talk to the police and see if they will tell him anything.”

“You don’t think that will draw their attention?” Isamu asked.

“Not really. He does live across the street from the park, so a certain amount of curiosity would be expected.” Tomoyo considered.

Isamu looked around the room and saw Hiroki gently stroking Nagisa’s hair while she slept on his thigh as if it was a lap pillow. Isamu thought that it _had_ to be uncomfortable for her. She was so small and Hiroki’s leg was so big that the poor girl’s neck looked painfully bent. _Then again, she kind of looks like a cat this way… and cat’s can sleep anywhere._

“How was the trip?” Isamu asked Hiroki.

“Not much to it. We just went there, bought the ticket, and came back.” Hiroki answered.

“Nobody stopped you, asked you questions… anything?” Isamu asked.

“No… Well… that ain’t entirely true. I think a few people looked at us cause it was strange to see a big ugly lug like me with someone as pretty and nice as Nagisa.” Hiroki told them.

“Hiroki…” Tomoyo was going to tell Hiroki to have a better opinion of himself, but Isamu responded at the same time.

“You’re probably right. The two of you should start making day trips on the train so people get used to seeing you together. That way you two won’t stick out so much when you go somewhere as a couple.” Isamu told him.

“More importantly, you need to buy some nicer clothes.” Tomoyo told him.

“Eh?” Hiroki didn’t like the idea of that at all. He was about to argue that nice clothes didn’t suit him when Tomoyo hit him with the argument that he could not refute.

“You want to be the person that Nagisa is proud of being seen with, don’t you?” Tomoyo left the rest unsaid, but she knew it would be easily inferred. He needed to level up his appearance so that when others saw them together, they would think ‘nice’ instead of ‘why is _she_ with _him_?’ or something like that. Tomoyo could see the thought dawning on Hiroki and his reluctant acceptance. What she didn’t expect to see was Isamu’s frown.

“I see what you did there.” Isamu grumbled. Hiroki hadn’t been the only one to infer additional meaning in what Tomoyo said.

 

**Wednesday late evening, January 5 th 2011 – Hikarizaka Hospital**

* * *

A nurse saw the light for the assistance button on room 305 and immediately called the number on the sticky note even as she sent one of the junior nurses to check on the patient.

 

“Koumura-san?” Tomoya looked at his unexpected visitor from his hospital bed. The nurses had done a fine job of explaining what his current medical condition was, but they couldn’t seem to answer any other questions. They had been putting him off and stalling with promises that someone that knows him will soon arrive to answer all of those other questions. Of all the people he had expected to see, his old high school counselor wasn’t one of them.

“Good evening Tomoya-kun.” the old man said with a smile buried deep under his bushy mustache. “I came as soon as… they called me. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long?”

“No… not too long. But why did they call _you_? And where is Tomoyo?” Tomoya asked.

“First of all, let me tell you that Tomoyo is fine. She didn’t have any injuries at all, and she is terribly worried about you.” Koumura said as he took a seat next to Tomoya’s hospital bed.

“Injuries…” Tomoya started to reach for the back of his head, but it was heavily bandaged.

“How much of the attack do you remember?” Koumura asked the younger man.

“I was hit in the head. I remember trying to run… and lots of loud voices.” Tomoya recalled.

“Apparently, a gang that Tomoyo had once humiliated, had orders to kill her if she was ever seen in town again. They threw a pipe at her but missed and hit you instead. At least, that is what we have been able to put together.” Koumura said.

“Kill her! But, you said she is okay, right?” Tomoya demanded. “Why isn’t she here? I want to see her!”

“Tomoya.” a feminine voice called his name firmly. It wasn’t Tomoyo’s but it was one he recognized from his high school days as well. And… not one that brought back particularly good memories.

“Fujibayashi Kyou?” Tomoya called out as the lavender haired girl came into the room. “Is this one of those weird dreams where I suddenly find myself in my old classroom and I’m not wearing any clothes?”

“No, it isn’t a dream. But it is something that is pretty hard to believe.” Kyou told him.

“Oh no.” Tomoya looked back and forth between the two of them and came to a horrible conclusion, “So… I’m dead. And Kyou has come to take me to hell.”

“No… wait. HEY! Why do you have to cast me as a demon?” Kyou demanded. She was upset enough to break the rest of his head just then.

“You are in a parallel universe. Tomoyo is not here with you. She is still in the universe that you came from.” Koumura explained, “In this universe, Kyou is married to Tomoya and they have three children.”

“I’m married to Fujibayashi Kyou? So, I’m _already_ in hell.” Tomoya concluded.

“HEY!” Kyou shouted and would have made a lunge for the bedridden Tomoya if she hadn’t heard another voice.

“No. _I_ am married to Kyou-chan, and you can’t have her.” Another Tomoya said as he came into the room, put his arms around Kyou from behind, and pulled her in close.

Kyou’s anger seemed to immediately fade away as she luxuriated in her husband’s embrace.

“I… see.” the Tomoya in the bed stared at the odd couple. This new Tomoya was dressed a lot nicer than he had ever been, and had an aura of confidence that he had never felt before. “So… back to this being a dream then.” Tomoya lifted the sheet and blanket and saw that he was wearing a hospital gown. “At least I’m not naked yet.”

“This could take a while, but we do have a little time. Let’s start by you telling me everything you’ve done since graduating high school.” Koumura suggested.

The old man’s words sounded like he had lost his mind, but the patient smile on his old face told Tomoya otherwise.

 

**Sunday early evening, July 30 th 2006 – Tomoyo-1 Universe**

* * *

Everyone had gathered around the table for dinner. In an effort to not be a bunch of freeloaders, the two Tomoyos had seen to the food preparation while Ryou helped in the bakery. Isamu and Iwao helped Akio-san with more home repairs and upgrades. Hiroki’s only responsibility was to keep up the observation on the park, since his bruised ribs were still recovering.

Knowing that the next communication window would be at five-thirty that evening, they had all agreed on an early dinner so they could all hear the message when it came in. So, they were all around the table when the indicator light turned on to let them know there was an incoming message. Everyone got quiet as Nagisa reached out to the orb and pressed the button.

 

“Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.” Koumura’s voice came out of the speaker with a small warning, “This next message is for The Tomoyo of your world. If she isn’t sitting down now, she should.”

Eyes turned to Tomoyo and her attention was riveted on the orb. She didn’t realize that she hadn’t been breathing until she gasped when she heard Tomoya’s voice.

“Hello Tomoyo, it’s me. Um… the me that is engaged to you. I’m told I was attacked by someone with a pipe and… you saved my life.” Tomoya’s voice said, “But they also tell me that I’m in a parallel universe. I’ve met another me and it’s winter here so… I don’t know how much of this is real or if I’m hallucinating. Koumura says I can come back to you in two or three days. I’m really looking forward to that. I can’t wait to see you!” Tomoya’s voice sounded like it was starting to break with emotion.

“It will be two or three days for us, but August third or fourth for you.” a more stable version of Tomoya’s voice said, “Next check-in will be at… seventeen-eighteen tomorrow.”

 

“He’s awake!” the local Tomoyo cheered with her older self. Then she turned and gave Ryou a hug, “Thank you! Thank you for coming and saving him. Thank you so much!”

Ryou could feel the change as it took place. One moment, she was happy that he was awake and would be coming home. But that news had also unplugged the dam or her emotions and soon the hug turned into a desperate grab for sanity as the pent up stress finally had a chance to drain out of her. Her fists grasped and hung onto Ryou’s clothes and her body shook while the violent sobbing ran its course.

Nagisa leaned into Hiroki and watched the lavender haired Ryou hold the platinum blond close. With a motherly smile she calmly petted the platinum blond head as Tomoyo cried out her fears and frustrations. Nagisa smiled and observed, “Ryou-chan is a very kind person.”

“Yes. Hiroki agreed as he ran his huge hand down Nagisa’s side and pulled her close. He looked around the room and knew he was seeing some of his friends at their best now. Ryou was comforting the younger Tomoyo. The older Tomoyo was keeping Akio and Sanae involved, and also reassuring her younger self. Isamu and Iwao were doing everything they could to make sure everyone was safe.

“You’re going to miss your friends, aren’t you?” Nagisa asked delicately.

“Yeah… but we’ve already said our goodbye’s and they’re all happy for me.” he assured her.

“To be honest, I’m a bit envious. I’ve never had friends like that before. I guess, I was always too shy.” Nagisa asked, “Are you sure it’s okay with them to let you go like this?”

“They accept it because they know it’s what I really want, but they don’t like it. Nobody likes to see a friend go away, right? But it ain’t a matter of whether they like it or not.” Hiroki held Nagisa’s hand and told her, “It all comes down to me choosing to be with you.”

 

**Friday morning, January 7 th 2011 - The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

“We have an incoming recording.” the technician said to the group in the lone pergola that had been set up the night before. Since it was only going to be a message attempt, only the four accelerator trucks and the control pergola had been set up. Still, Kobayashi, both Tomoya’s, Kyou, Nagisa, and Youhei were all there. They all knew that their loved ones wouldn’t be transiting across, but it was a pleasant day and they looked forward to hearing the news from the other side. They all waited silently and watched the speaker that was set up in the middle of the table.

 

“Hello other universe!” Sanae’s voice came over the speaker and sounded of happiness and excitement. Everyone around the table immediately felt a little stress float away just from hearing the tone of her voice. “It is a quarter after ten in the morning on the first of August, 2006. Well the biggest news, at least for us, is that the lottery ticket Hiroki bought the other day… won! All of the numbers matched! Tomoyo-san told us not to cash it in until after everybody gets home safely, but it’s still very exciting.”

There was the sound of something moving before another voice came through the speaker.

“Tomoya, I was so glad to hear your voice. Please tell me you’re still doing well. Hiroki said he would give us half of the winning lottery money and that’s nice, but I just want you back again. Please come home as soon as you can!” Tomoyo urged.

Again, there was the sound of movement and another familiar voice.

“Onee-chan, I know you’re there but don’t worry too much about me. I am safe and sound.” Ryou sounded like she was getting closer to the microphone and then added, “And, to that very special person in my life, I’m looking forward to coming home to you too.”

 

“Why didn’t she say my name?” Nagisa wondered aloud.

“They might not have mentioned your relationship to the Furukawa’s of that world.” Kyou said.

“Why? Do you think Ryou is embarrassed to talk about me?” Nagisa worried.

“Ha!” Youhei laughed, “I can guarantee you it’s nothing like that. She’s so proud of you I sometimes wonder if she’s confused and thinks she’s your mother. Even Sanae-san doesn’t brag about you _that_ much.”

“Really?” Nagisa’s worries were dispelled by Youhei’s reaction, but now she was blushing from the thought of Ryou bragging about her that much.

“It’s probably for Hiroki’s sake.” the elder Tomoya suggested.

“Waitminit… Fujibayashi is in a relationship with Furukawa here?” the younger Tomoya remembered the mousy class representative and her overbearing and overprotective sister. To hear that she was in a relationship with another girl almost made sense. The Kyou from his world would have tried to kill any guy that got too close to her.

“Yes, and we have a darling little girl named Ushio.” Nagisa said proudly.

“Huh?” the younger Tomoya’s mind was having a little problem with that.

“Ushio is the daughter of Tomoya and Nagisa.” the elder Tomoya explained.

“What! You and her…” the younger Tomoya looked dumbfounded.

“No. Ushio is the daughter of Tomoya and Nagisa from another parallel world. A world where the two of them were married, but they all died in an accident. She was rescued from there and brought to this world where Nagisa and Ryou adopted her.”

The younger Tomoya was about to ask why his older self didn’t adopt the child when he remembered that this world’s Tomoya was married to Kyou. _Yeah, I wouldn’t want to bring a kid within striking distance of her either._

“What?” Kyou asked the younger version of her husband when she saw the strange look on his face.

“Nothing.” the younger Tomoya quickly glanced away and tried to look as innocent as possible.

 

**Saturday evening, January 8 th 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

The younger Tomoya was asleep in a hospital stretcher in the staging pergola. It hadn’t made the best bed, but he had slept in worse places in his life. At least the pillow had been soft. But he awoke from an uneasy feeling to find something even more disturbing when he opened his eyes.

A tall slender young woman with blue-gray eyes and dark brown hair stood over his stretcher, watching him sleep. She seemed oddly familiar and yet, he couldn’t remember her from school or the neighborhood where he grew up.

“Ah, Tomoya-kun. You’re awake.” the tall girl was pretty and seemed to look on him softly as if they had known each other for many years. She stroked the hair from his eyes with a gentle touch.

“I’m sorry. Maybe it’s the head injury but… I don’t remember you.” Tomoya admitted.

“I doubt you ever met me in your world. My name is Okazaki Yuki.” she said with a half smile.

“Okazaki…” Tomoya’s eyes opened wider and he wondered if he was going to find out that he had a sister in this universe.

“How much do you know about your father’s family?” Yuki asked him.

“Nothing. I don’t remember meeting any of them.” Tomoya answered.

“That’s because they were cruel to your father when you were very young. He was disowned because he loved your mother and wanted to raise you.” Yuki told him as gently as he could.

“What!” Tomoya was outraged to hear this now. His father had never talked about either his or his wife’s families. And now, to hear this…

“Please, try to remain calm. They didn’t want me to tell you this because of your head injury, but the Tomoya I know… the Tomoya that I believe you are… I think you can handle this.” Yuki took his hand and held it in her own.

“What?” Tomoya was curious now. Curious about a family that abandoned him and his father. And curious about this girl that had the same family name.

“Your grandmother didn’t want any of that to happen, but she was overruled back then. And I… I wasn’t even born yet. You have to believe that the two of us had nothing to do with it.” Yuki said earnestly. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought again of the memories that never were – because of that hateful decision from long ago.

“I believe you.” Tomoya said, but in truth – he _wanted_ to believe this girl. But he wasn’t certain that he should.

“Take this.” Yuki said as she slid a folded up paper into his hand, “I don’t know if it will be the same in your world but it’s where your grandmother lives in Hokkaido.”

“My… grandmother?” Tomoya was stunned. He had never known that he had a grandmother until now.

“And… me.” Yuki wiped away the tears from her eyes and implored, “Find me. Save me. Please?”

“I will.” Tomoya couldn’t help but want to do whatever he could for her.

“Promise me?” Yuki said while her face tried to sob and smile at the same time.

“I promise.” Tomoya squeezed her hand.

“Thank you!” Yuki bowed to his face and kissed him on the forehead before releasing his hand and slipping through the canvas flaps and out into the dark.

Tomoya lay still for several minutes wondering if all of that had been another hallucination. But he could feel the folded paper in his hand and decided that it was another strange piece of reality that had called on him unexpectedly.

“She’s a good kid.” Kyou’s voice said quietly from somewhere else in the darkness.

Tomoya’s body immediately tensed up at the sound of her voice. A lantern was turned up and he could see her now. But the visage was not what he expected. She wasn’t the avenging demon of justice and retribution that her voice always conjured in his mind. Not this time. She seemed softer somehow, but he knew better than to trust her.

“Are you really going to go looking for your relatives?” Kyou asked him.

“Yes.” Tomoya thought about explaining his desire to see the family that turned him away and demand to know _why_. But, he didn’t feel that he owed Kyou any explanations.

“In that case, I’ll give you a couple of tips.” Kyou said as she got up from the table where she had been sitting and came to stand over him about where Yuki had been. “Your father isn’t the bastard you think he is. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll both be. Your grandmother wants him to come home to her. And your aunt, Yuki’s mother, is _not_ to be trusted. When you find Yuki, she probably won’t have the chops to make it into the university where Tomoyo is. But, if she is tutored and she attends with Tomoyo, she will be _amazing_.”

“Why?” Tomoya wondered at this strangely benevolent version of the demon he had known in his own world. He couldn’t recall her ever being this helpful to him before. “Why are you doing this?”

“You’re not going to believe me if I tell you.” Kyou said with a sentimental smile as she brushed his hair out of his eyes just as Yuki had done.

Tomoya instinctively flinched when Kyou’s hand came close to his face.

“You know… it really hurts when you do that.” Kyou said with genuine sadness.

“I’m sorry but… in my world, we don’t have the best history.” Tomoya actually was sorry. He could see the sadness in her face that matched what he heard in her voice. Obviously, something had happened in this world that had dramatically closed the distance between the two of them. Suppressing his urge to flinch, he implored, “I won’t assume you’re lying. The Kyou that I knew was a lot of things I didn’t like, but she was never a liar. Please tell me.”

“Baka.” Kyou smiled sadly and told him, “I’m doing this for you… because I really do want what is best for you.” Then, like Yuki, she leaned over him and kissed him on the forehead before leaving.

 

An hour after his chat with the cousin he had never known and the classmate he had never understood, Tomoya was back in his universe. After all the suspense and build-up about being in a parallel world, the process to get home seemed oddly anti-climatic. The light baubles had been fascinating and feeling the air go from a cold winter night to a warm summer morning had also been interesting. But to think it all happened in the center field of an ordinary park that he had walked past hundreds of times before… was just strange.

Tomoyo was glad to see him, of course. As glad as he was to see her. It was a little disconcerting to see two of her, but he had just come from a place where there was another of him… so it wasn’t as much of a shock as it might have been. He was briefly introduced to, and thanked the visitors that had fought to defend his wife, and save him. He recognized Fujibayashi Ryou, but she didn’t seem to be the mousy and shy girl that she used to be. All of the introductions, greetings, and goodbyes all seemed to happen very quickly – but before he realized it, an hour had passed and it was time. From his place next to his fiancé, he watched as four of the visitors disappeared from his world.

Among those returnees were two who would be experiencing the trip back for the first time.

 

The glare from the light baubles was still in her eyes when Ryou felt the horrible sensation that she knew was coming. Every survey team that came back had one thing in common. Whether they went to a winter world or one in the heat of summer, the team members always came back frozen to the point of frostbite. It was something Kotomi had been trying to work out, but like the other pet projects she had been working on, it was shelved for now… since she was gone.

Now it was Ryou’s turn to experience what each of the survey team members had already gone through several times. And… it was awful. She had thought it would be something like standing naked in a blizzard, but it was worse than that. The cold was completely penetrating. She felt the heat energy of her body ebbing away and with it, her consciousness. She could feel her mental faculties shutting down and she wondered if she would be strong enough to survive this after all. _But no… I promised… I promised I would return to…_

“Nagisa!” Ryou cried out through chattering teeth and violently shaking body.

“I’m right here.” Nagisa’s comforting words felt like a welcome warmth to her frozen body. Her heart rejoiced at the sound of her lovers sweet voice, and she felt as if she were floating.

Ryou couldn’t tell if this was a comforting delusion as she lost consciousness or a pleasant dream for her, on her way back from that cold void. But it was a wonderfully pleasant sound to hear just now, no matter what else may be happening. Trying to find more of that blessed warmth, Ryou spun around and grabbed hold of her dream-Nagisa and held onto her tight.

“Ryou!” Nagisa held onto her too, but sounded surprised and concerned.

“Just kiss me.” Ryou found the lips that meant so much to her and sealed herself to them. The dream was complete with the sounds of Nagisa moaning as their kiss increased in intimacy. Oddly, the dream included the sounds of applause.

“Um, Ryou-chan…” Nagisa struggled to get the words out as Ryou’s kisses worked down her neck.

“Hmm?” Ryou moaned a response as she luxuriated in Nagisa’s growing warmth. Trying to kiss her way down to Nagisa’s sensitive places, she was bewildered by the presence of water around Nagisa's breasts.

“Ryou-chan, were in the tub.” Nagisa’s voice said gently.

“The tub?” Ryou wondered what strange direction her dream was taking her.

“Um yeah… the hot tubs in the recovery area. Um… there are a lot of people around us.” Nagisa said timidly.

Ryou’s eyes popped open and she could see now that she was in one of the portable hot tubs that were set up for the returning survey team members. Nagisa was in a one-piece swim suit and Ryou had her cornered against the side of the tub. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

“Welcome back Dr. Fujibayashi.” one of her team members said after clearing his throat.

Taking a quick look at herself, she saw that she wasn’t completely nude. Per protocol, they had stripped away the frozen outer garments and she was down to her soggy underwear. Fortunately, it was a dark color – so, not entirely see-through. There was no time to succumb to embarrassment though.

“How is Tomoyo? I want a status on her recovery, as well as the other survey team members… and a towel.” Ryou ordered without looking up at the people around her.

In short order, her team members had given her the condition on everyone that had come back… and a towel. Not long after that, she was in the heated tent where she could change into clean and dry clothes. Not another word had been said of her brief make-out session in the recovery tub. A smile crossed her lips as the thought crossed her mind, _It’s good to be the boss._

 

**Sunday late morning, January 9 th – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

The weather was cold but dry and the plans were carried out to have a hot pot party to celebrate the success of the mission. Kyou arranged to have eight hot pots running in different places in the house, so that everyone would be able to find some food. It was necessary since there were so many people there. Of course, some of them showed up to get some face time, and then left. The mayor and the chief of police had been a few of those. The Secretary and Minister that always traveled together also left early and, for the first time, Tomoya wasn’t glad to be rid of them. He wasn't sure he was ready to call them friends yet, but… it was a step in that direction.

Kobayashi made sure that everyone knew that the mission had indeed been a success. Even though they had run into trouble this time around, the test to return to a previously explored world was absolutely verified. With that knowledge, they could push forward in their efforts to find their missing Kotomi, and return her to the world where she belonged.

Kyou was still trying to come to grips with what that would really mean when she found herself tagged by Tomoyo.

“Kyou, could I have a few minutes of your time?” Tomoyo asked. She also had Kenta with her, but Isamu was surprisingly absent.

“Sure. Is it about the party?” Kyou knew that Tomoyo was also a good cook and wondered if she wanted to take over one of the hot pots.

“No, this is about you. Or rather, all the alternate yous that are out there.” Tomoyo told her.

“Okay… let’s step out here.” she led the two out into the back yard and closed the door. It wasn’t too cold for the clothes they were wearing if the conversation wasn’t going to take too long. As soon as the door closed, Kyou asked, “Is there a problem… with me?”

“No. You are perfect. But my experience in the other world has opened my eyes to an issue with all the other Kyou’s. You see, none of _them_ almost killed Tomoya in high school.” Tomoyo told her.

“Ah!” Kyou jumped at that terrible reminder.

“You may think of that as a awful incident in your life, but it is part of what made you who you are now.” Tomoyo told her.

“And, who am I now?” Kyou fired back at the person who had just exposed an old wound.

“Before the accident with Tomoya, you were brash, arrogant, and impertinent. You did things that other students would have got expelled for, but you thought it was okay because you kept getting away with them. But _the accident_ changed all of that, didn’t it?” Tomoyo asked.

“Yes.” Kyou felt the old guilt for what she had done stirring, but also the anger for Tomoyo being the one to stir it up. Her fist clenched as she met Tomoyo’s eyes.

“I maintain that it was good for you to go through all of that pain. You are a more thoughtful person now. More careful with the people around you, and more considerate. You are, in my opinion, the pinnacle of all possible Fujibayashi Kyou’s.” Tomoyo said it as a statement rather than a cheer.

“Honestly, I can’t tell whether you are insulting me or praising me.” Kyou admitted.

“Some of both maybe. But the fact remains that you are certainly more level-headed and less a force of chaos than the other Kyous that have been encountered.” Tomoyo said.

“I suppose there is a reason for bringing this up to me?” Kyou said while opening her hand and closing it to a fist several times. Tomoyo’s insult-complements weren’t exactly sitting well and she wanted to go cool off before going back to interact with people at the party that she was hosting.

“Kotomi picked me to help raise the probability of survival for the exploration teams. And right now, I see an opportunity for you to make a huge difference both in their mission success, and in their survival odds.” Tomoyo then asked the lavender haired woman who now wore an expression of surprise, “Kyou, will you do this? It is something I cannot do. You are really the only one that can do this, and I am certain that it will make a difference in all the missions that follow as we look for Kotomi.”

“If it will help as you say, how can I not agree to what you ask? But, what is it that you need me to do? Tomoya will not like the idea of me going on the missions.” Kyou warned, but was willing to do just about anything else.

“I noticed a quirk in the Kyou from this last world. She was defensive and untrusting of everyone. Those qualities detracted from accomplishing anything quickly. However, as soon as she was given a barb, or a foil… she would concentrate her ire on that person and was willing to work with others.” Tomoyo said.

“I didn’t think I was like that.” Kyou said defensively.

“You’re not any more. But before _the accident_ , I am wondering now if Youhei didn’t fill that role to some degree.” Tomoyo suggested.

“I… can’t deny that.” Kyou had to admit. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to work with Kenta. I want you to train him to be a good foil for you. He needs to be able to taunt and needle you enough to get your ire on him, but not enough to try and kill him. And, keep in mind, you’re doing this to your pre-accident standards. So, don’t let him go too far.” Tomoyo said.

“You’re saying I used to have low standards?” Kyou didn’t know about Kenta, but Tomoyo was certainly pissing her off.

“Kyou. You are now married to Okazaki Tomoya and doing a splendid job of raising Kotomi’s children as your own. Your standards are higher now than they have ever been in your life. So yes, compared to the _you_ that is in the _now_ , your standards back then were abysmally low.” Tomoyo said with a cocked eyebrow.

“Once again… insult mixed with compliment. You seem to be pretty good at it already. Maybe _you_ should teach him.” Kyou snapped.

“No. I feel I have complete freedom to say anything I want to you without any concern of retaliation. That would not do for Kenta. If I taught him, it would likely get him killed.” Tomoyo responded.

“You don’t think I would ever retaliate?” Kyou preened.

“I didn’t say that you wouldn’t try. I said that it was not a concern. Simply put, you pose no threat to me.” Tomoyo stated as if it were an axiom. There was no bravado or challenge in her voice. The words were delivered as a cold hard fact.

“Really?” Kyou had been pushed too far. Even if Tomoyo had never meant it that way, a challenge is how she saw it. “Perhaps we should put that to the test?”

“Oh.” Tomoyo sighed. This had not gone as she had hoped, but perhaps it was still salvageable. “As you wish.”

“Uh, Boss?” Kenta realized that things were about to get messy but it looked like Tomoyo knew what she was doing.

“Kenta, go to the bookshelf and get three hardbound books from the shelves in there. Make sure they are about the size of a Japanese – English dictionary.” she told him.

“You’re going to let me have a book?” Kyou wondered if the platinum blond had suddenly become suicidal.

“I will give you every advantage. Tell me where you want me to stand and I will wait there until after you throw your first book.” Tomoyo said.

“And the other books?” Kyou remembered that Tomoyo had told Kenta to bring three.

“You will never get a chance to throw more than one.” Tomoyo told Kyou, “But my object is not to humiliate you. When this is over, you and I will stand and bow as if this had been an exercise in martial arts. Then we will go back into the house and enjoy the party. And, you will promise to train Kenta.”

“That’s if _you_ win...” Kyou started to make her demands in the event that she won, but she was cut off by the irritatingly confident Tomoyo.

“There will be no other outcome.”

 

Tomoyo stood six meters away from Kyou. She wasn’t even getting into a defensive position as Kyou picked up the first book and prepared to throw. Kenta was standing nearby but would be hard pressed to report what happened next. The book left Kyou’s hand as if it had been fired from an artillery piece. There was a blur as Tomoyo rushed Kyou and started her rapid fire kicks. The first kick sent the second book that was in Kyou’s hands flying. The second kick brushed past her right cheek. The third kick brushed past her left cheek. Then Kyou suddenly found herself face down on the ground with her arm twisted up behind her back. But Tomoyo didn’t keep her there long. She immediately released Kyou from the suppression hold and helped her to her feet. Then, as she said she would, she bowed in the style of a martial arts finish.

Kyou was stunned. She had never faced something that shocking before in her life. All the times that she had sparred with Tomoyo in the past, she now knew that Tomoyo had been holding back _most_ of her abilities. It had come as a great shock to realize that Tomoyo had not been a pretentious bitch all this time… she really was _that_ good. As agreed, she bowed with Tomoyo.

“I… never have been on par with you… have I?” Kyou asked through her humility as they walked back to the house.

“You got Tomoya.” Tomoyo said with a half smile as they got to the door.

“Yeah.” Kyou laughed a little and said, “Hey, thanks for not killing me out there.”

 

**Sunday afternoon, January 23 rd – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

The briefing that was to be held in the living room of their home was really for the exploration team, but Tomoya and Kyou watched as well. They were about to be shown something that the sciency guys had worked up, but for some reason, Ryota didn’t seem all that excited.

Kobayashi Jun sat at the chair across from them with a silk pouch that was only big enough to hold a deck of cards. Before opening the pull strings on the fabric bag, he gave them the explanation.

“Gentlemen, we are about to embark on the part of the operation where the focus of every mission will be to find the Kotomi of that world. If we are lucky, you will find our Kotomi and she will instantly recognize you. However, you may end up in a world with another Kotomi. That is not to be considered a disappointment though. You see, there is a very real possibility that a similar Kotomi will be able to help us narrow down our target group into something manageable. So, you know what that means.”

“We’ll need to try and contact every Kotomi.” Kenta answered.

“That’s right. And it may be very difficult to get her trust. That is why we made up these cards.” Kobayashi opened the silk sack and pulled the cards out. There were only four of them, but each one was unique. He placed the cards face up on the table for all of them to see.

“The first one has a list of all of the works that were published by Kotomi’s parents.” Kobayashi said as he pointed to the card with the list.

“The second card has Kotomi's variation of the bosonic string S-matrix expression.” he pointed to the card with the math formula on it.

“The third card is a line from the novel, ‘The Dandelion Girl.’ Kotomi should know the line and find it personally meaningful.” he indicated a card with the phrase, “The day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday I saw a deer, and today you.”

“And finally, this card.” he indicated a picture with Kotomi, Tomoya, and the three children from the previous summer.

“Just a minute.” Tomoya picked up the picture and studied it for a moment, then demanded, “Where is Kyou? Why did you cut her out of this picture?”

Kyou looked over Tomoya’s shoulder at the picture and recognized it. They had taken it soon after returning to Japan and indeed, Kyou had been in the shot… but not anymore. She looked at the professor for an explanation but her expression showed how hurt she was.

“Please believe me that there is no intended slight.” Kobayashi explained, “It’s just that… the analysts believe that Kyou’s presence in the picture would only confuse a Kotomi that did not share an incredibly similar experience.”

“But you didn’t have to edit Kyou out like that! Couldn’t you just use a picture that she isn’t in?” Tomoya asked.

“There weren’t any.” Kobayashi gave the simple answer. “In all the hundreds of family pictures with all three children, there are none that have Kotomi and you, without Kyou.”

Tomoya had never realized that. Now that he thought of it, Kotomi always insisted that Kyou be in every family shot. Stunned, he looked up at Kyou’s eyes. She also had a stunned… almost haunted look about her.

“It’s okay, Tomoya. If it means helping to get Kotomi back… it’s okay.” Kyou said with a sigh of resignation.

Everyone but Tomoya turned away as Kyou left the room. Only he saw her shoulders sag and shudder as she got to the door. When she was out of sight, he handed the card back to the professor.

“…” Kobayashi was about to apologize, but was stopped by Tomoya’s upturned hand.

“I don’t want to hear it.” Tomoya then turned to follow his wife out of the room, “I just hope it’s worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> .
> 
>  **Nakodo** : matchmaker


	6. Reconciliation - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A Special Note**
> 
> This is a special chapter for me. I was able to work with one of the FanFiction authors that inspired me to write my own Clannad Story. If you are familiar with the works of **Magnus Prime** , see if you can guess which of his works this story is in collaboration with. And yes, significant portions of this chapter and the next one, were written by Magnus Prime himself!

**Monday evening, January 31 st – Family Restaurant across from the Train Station**

* * *

Kenta sat opposite Tomoyo at the table. The fact that he was there alone with Tomoyo made him uneasy. The weather outside was miserable and was only supposed to get worse over the next several days. That was one of the reasons why there weren’t many other people in the place at this time, so they had a good degree of privacy. Which… also didn’t help his feeling of unease. But this was no secret tryst. Well, it was a secret, but it wasn’t a tryst.

“How is your head?” Tomoyo glanced at his hair line but couldn’t see the scar or the stitches underneath the black mop of hair.

“I’m okay. I wasn’t hurt near as bad as Takeo.” Kenta dismissed the injury.

“That’s good. So… how has your training been coming?” Tomoyo asked.

“It was going pretty good until Kobayashi-hakase brought out them damn cards.” Kenta grouched.

“I was afraid of that. I guess Kyou has been too quick to anger since then?” Tomoyo asked.

“Naw, the opposite. She’s been really blue.” Kenta relayed his recent experience, “I gave her a couple of days then lobbed a really mild one at her. It wasn’t even a new one. Something I’d said a couple of times before and she just batted it away. But this time… she started crying.”

“Kyou?” Tomoyo blinked and wondered if she had heard right, “Fujibayashi Kyou?”

“Yep. I apologized real quick, but it didn’t stop the tears.” Kenta said.

“I guess this was a bit much for her then.” Tomoyo wondered if she should apologize as well.

“I don’t think it was us.” Kenta frowned and stared into the blackness of his coffee, “She’s been like that ever since she saw that damn picture.”

“Hmm… that means you haven’t had any practice for a week. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Tomoyo was concerned and wondered if she should call off his _special instructions_ and have him just behave normally this time.

“I think I can do it. I mean… if you really think it will make a difference for the mission success.” Kenta wanted to show what he could do, and he didn’t want to let The Boss down.

“All right… but I don’t like the idea of you going in cold. See if you can use that skill on anyone else. The more comfortable you are with it, the more natural it will be for you when you meet an other-world Kyou.”

“No problem. So, if we’re done here – I’m ready for you to take me to that love hotel down the street.” Kenta tried a barb to show Tomoyo that he was indeed ready to play his part. But he started to panic when Tomoyo unexpectedly blushed at the suggestion. “I… I was just showing you… I didn’t really mean…”

“I know.” Tomoyo lowered her voice and looked away as she confessed, “As it happens, I am meeting Isamu there when we leave this restaurant.”

“Yeah…” _I probably didn’t need to know that._ Kenta thought to himself as he took a desperate sip at his coffee.

“All right then. If we’re done here. I’ll see you tomorrow at the park.” Tomoyo said as she got up to leave.

“Right. And Boss…” Kenta called out as he also got up to leave.

“Yes?” Tomoyo turned to see Kenta slipping the finger of one hand through the circled thumb and finger of the other hand in a _very_ suggestive way.

“Enjoy your meating.” Kenta said with a pleasant smile.

Tomoyo turned away from Kenta with a fierce blush and thought, _Perhaps… you don’t need any more training after all._

 

**Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Even though Isamu and Kenta had been on the last trip, the decision had been made that they should both go on this first Kotomi-search mission as well. Tomoyo was not thrilled with the idea of Isamu going twice in a row, but she understood the importance of this mission. According to the data coming from both Hokkaido and Houston, there was a very strong probability of this being a prime target world. What kind of target was still unclear, so they weren’t sure whether they would be traveling to the universe where Kotomi had gone, or if they would be making contact with that world’s Kotomi.

Both possibilities were desirable though. Being able to retrieve their Kotomi would be the best result, but being able to contact another Kotomi and possibly get her help would also be good. And it was that second possibility that they were being the most careful about.

The Kotomi from their own universe was shy, but not as much as she had been in her past. Years of living with Tomoya and Kyou, as well as the experience of going to college on her own… these experiences had helped her to overcome much of her social anxiety. But that might not be the case for every Kotomi. After all, they had already discovered differences in the Kyous and Nagisas that they had encountered.

To prepare for the chance of encountering a Kotomi with social skills ranging from congenial to a complete shut-in, the team members had been trained for the last week, in approach techniques by specialists that Kobayashi-hakase had brought in. They had been primed with key facts and phrases that should help in establishing trust and… belief. But, they were also cautioned that nothing is foolproof.

They had also decided that secrecy was not an issue with respect to Kotomi. All the evaluations and simulations had suggested that, even if she was frightened and unresponsive, she wouldn’t call the police unless her safety was threatened. So, there were no restrictions on revealing anything… or everything to Kotomi.

“What if… what if they find that the Kotomi there is a miserable shut-in, or destitute? Should they bring her back like they did with Ushio?” Tomoyo asked as the group sat in the heated tent and waited for the time to count down.

“And then what?” Kobayashi asked. “It may sound cold, but I doubt a Kotomi in that state could be of any use to us. And, dragging her here would just frighten and confuse her. I know it sounds cold, but the best thing to do in that situation would be to try and contact that world’s Tomoya or me, and see if either of them would be willing to try and help her.”

“I…” Tomoyo wanted to object to such a cold decision, but the old man’s logic was sound. “I guess you’re right.”

“Bring her back if she’s sick or injured though.” Tomoya said while he stared at the ripples that played across his dark coffee. “Now that we know we can go back to the same world, we can at least heal her up before we send her back.” Then, looking up from his coffee and over to Ryou he asked, “Unless you think that would be a bad idea.”

“No… we could do that.” Ryou agreed, but not very enthusiastically. There were other things on her mind about this mission that most other people weren’t thinking about. She still hadn’t heard what bringing their Kotomi back would do to her sister’s status. Sure, from a legal standpoint Kotomi’s marriage to Tomoya was dissolved when she was declared dead. So her re-appearance wouldn’t negate Kyou’s marriage, but that wasn’t her concern. Her onee-chan was finally married to the guy she had liked since her second year in high school… so would Kotomi’s reappearance destroy that happiness?

Then again, Kyou-chan hadn’t been very happy since Kotomi disappeared. There were a few times when she smiled and laughed, but Ryou could see the sadness in the way Kyou carried herself, the dark circles appearing under her eyes, the sighs and the far off stares. She knew her sister well and her continued suffering deeply concerned Ryou. Perhaps it would be best then. Even if Tomoya divorces onee-chan and remarries Kotomi to put everything back the way it was… Maybe that would make onee-chan happy again. Or at least… happier than she was now. But Ryou still didn’t think that was something that _she_ could accept.

“All right, all my men are in position. The park and the surrounding streets are all secure.” Youhei reported as he entered the tent wearing his parka and carrying a police radio in one of his gloved hands.

“Anybody here to watch this time?” Tomoya asked.

“With this crummy weather? Not a chance!” Youhei laughed. His parka was covered with sleet and ice and there was frozen mud on his boots. By the way the heavy canvas of the tent had been flapping and popping, there was obviously some gusting wind out there as well.

“Teams to ready positions.” the other radio’s in the room crackled to life with the countdown announcements, “Ten minutes to sensor ball drop.”

“Hopefully, it will be sunny and warm on the other side.” Mikio said as he got up from the table along with everyone else in the room. He smiled when he noticed that they were all strapping on their winter gear along with the four members of the survey team. Technically, only the survey team needed to go out in this awful weather, but no-one would use that excuse. It was a precedent that had been set from the very beginning. No matter the weather or the time, every one of them would see the survey team off when they stepped into the target circle.

The tent flap opened up and a blast of icy wind greeted them for their walk to the baseball diamond’s outfield. No-one spoke, they were all concentrating on keeping their footing on the icy path in the darkness broken the by momentary illumination of handheld flashlights. In addition to those balance issues, no-one wanted to expose their faces in the cold and wet weather for chitchat. When they got to the roped off entrance to the target area, their earbuds and headsets crackled to life and they paused to hear what the remote probe had reported.

“Match for time is within five minutes. Weather conditions on the other side are… the same as ours as well. No movement detected in sensor range.” the technician reported.

“This is Kobayashi. The match for time tells us already that this is not where our Kotomi went. However, the nearly identical conditions mean that this world may be very similar to our own. If that is the case, their Kotomi may be of immeasurable help to us. The mission is a go. Gook luck men.” Kobayashi announced through his headset, then immediately covered his face back up with his balaclava. The four men on the survey team gave a thumbs-up, then picked up their bags and tool boxes and trudged through the nearly frozen mud to the target circle.

“Team comm.” Isamu said to his voice controlled audio. “You guys can hear me?”

Kenta, Mikio, and Ryota all replied.

“You heard the weather report. It will be as shitty on the other side as it is here. So, let’s go to the Furukawa bakery first. If there are no lights on, we head for the Ichinose house. If we have no luck there, we come back here and dial up an early exit. I don’t want anyone freezing to death, even if hakase thinks this world is promising. We can always try this place again. You guys got that?” Isamu told them.

“Got it.” Mikio replied.

“Yep.” Ryota said.

“Mom, are we there yet?” Kenta whined.

“Cut that shit out.” Isamu gruffed.

“Hey, at least I didn’t call ya Boss.” Kenta chuckled as the countdown started.

“Ten seconds on my mark… now.” the voice intoned as the first light baubles appeared.

The seconds counted down and the team watched as the number of light baubles increased and began to swirl around them. Predictably, they seemed to be completely unaffected by the sleet as they danced and spun madly about.

“Two.” the blizzard of baubles intensified to a complete white out.

“One.” now the frenzied light baubles were rushing up into the air and… gone.

 

The gallery watched the empty space where there friends and comrades had recently been standing only a few moments before. Then, as one, they turned and headed back to the prep tent.

Once inside the warmer tent, overcoats and balaclavas began to come off. Everyone kept their hats and gloves on though. The tent wasn’t _that_ warm.

“You sent them off in weather like this?” Tomoya asked with a bit of surprise, “Don’t get me wrong. I want Kotomi back as much as anyone, but…”

“Isamu is a good man. If it’s too much for them, he’ll come back for an early pickup.” Tomoyo defended her boyfriend.

“I know that. I didn’t mean to suggest anything bad about him… or anyone. I just… wish the conditions had been better.” Tomoya was someone who was better at showing his concern than expressing it. He wished Kyou could be with him now, but she would need her rest to teach her classes in the morning and had to turn in earlier.

“Tomoya… maybe you haven’t realized this.” Kobayashi-hakase told him, “Kotomi has touched the lives of everyone in this room. Unless the condition on the other side of that gate had been truly dire, I would have had a revolt on my hands if I had tried to stop them from going.”

“Dat be da chooth!” Iwao growled.

“Hell ya!” Takeo said while he struggled to get his coat off. His arm was still in a sling and it was difficult with only one hand. Takeshi was next to him and grabbed the garment to make the task a little easier.

“Ain’t nuthin for da likes of us. Jus a little wind and rain. You lets us deal wit dat and we’ll let you takes care of all da lawyerin.” Takeshi boasted.

“Yeah… I guess that’s all I can do.” Tomoya looked down at his gloved hands and wished that he could be on that mission now.

“Hey now, don be takin it like dat.” Iwao said in a friendlier voice.

“Takeshi dint mean no insult.” Takeo prodded the tough next to him, “Tell him Takeshi.”

“Naw, I dint mean nothin like that. I knows what you has to do. Da professah splained it all to us.” Takeshi told Tomoya.

“Huh?” Tomoya looked up at Kobayashi-hakase and then over at Takeshi and Takeo.

“We can only go on dees explorations cause of all da science. Witout da science, we caint go no-wheres. An dere ain't no science witout money dat pays for it. An dere ain’t no money witout you – doin your lawyerin.” Takeo greatly paraphrased what Kobayashi-hakase had said.

In fact, the good ‘professor’ had his head in his hands in disbelief of how Takeo had butchered the language in the process of repeating his explanation.

“So dats how we see it. You gots to do yer job or we caint do ours.” Takeshi tried his hand at summarizing Takeo’s paraphrasing. It didn’t sound much better, but it was at least more succinct.

“I… I really appreciate that you guys understand.” Tomoya told them, “In fact, I’ll be heading for Tokyo in the morning. The MEXT is going to have me shaking hands and smiling at a lot of people for the next several days. With any luck, we may be able to secure enough grants to get us through to the end of the year.”

“Hey, dats great Tomoya-kun!” Iwao bellowed.

“I haven’t done it yet.” Tomoya cautioned them not to start celebrating too early and added, “That also means that I won’t be here when the team gets back.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to send you updates.” Tomoyo said as she held up her smartphone.

 

**Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – Parallel World; The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

To the members of the survey team, it seemed that nothing had happened at all. It was still dark, cold, and wet.

“No footprints.” Mikio said. The four of them had been standing back to back and he had been facing the direction of the way they had come. So, when his flashlight swept the ground, he had a good view of the trampled frozen mud… but it was smooth now.

“All right, let’s get moving. Bakery first.” Isamu called out. Soon, the four of them were walking through the park towards the familiar Furukawa home.

After several minutes of tramping through this world’s frozen mud, they arrived at the street across from the familiar bakery, but it didn’t look good. The bakery was there, but it was dark and the metal shutters were closed across the entrance. With the weather and this discovery, the group was beginning to feel like this trip was ill fated. But, it wasn’t time to give up yet. Following Isamu’s plan, they started their long walk to the Ichinose house.

Admittedly, it wasn’t a long walk under normal circumstances, but when every step you take is done carefully to make sure you don’t slip and fall on some frozen patch… it can be an _awfully_ long walk. On the positive side, no-one was out for a stroll to see these four men walking down the street at such an odd hour.

They were about two thirds of the way to the Ichinose house, and coming up to a street intersection, when Ryota thought he saw something off in the distance.

“Hey… I see flashing lights.” Ryota pointed up the street in the direction they were traveling.

“Cops?” Mikio looked back the other way and listened for sirens.

“Nope. It looks more like a car’s emergency flashers.” Ryota said as he squinted into the darkness.

“Your eyes are better than mine. I don’t see anything.” Isamu admitted, then asked, “How far away are they?”

“Hard to tell in this weather… but maybe a hundred meters.” Ryota guessed.

“So, we’ll be walking right past them.” Isamu knew that they would be on this road until after the bridge and that was at least a kilometer away.

“What do we do… mom?” Kenta snickered.

“Seriously?” Mikio wanted to smack Kenta on the back of the head. But with everyone dressed the same and faces covered up with balaclavas and winter hats, he couldn’t tell which one of the other three was the one making the wisecracks.

“If it’s just a vehicle problem, Ryota and I will offer assistance. Kenta and Mikio continue on to the Ichinose house.

“What if it’s a crash?” Ryota asked.

“I dunno. I’d like to help if we can, but we just can’t take the risk of getting involved with cops here.” Isamu replied. He sighed, then said, “We’ll see when we get there. You guys know what to do, right?”

The three of them nodded their heads.

“All right then… let’s go.” Isamu said as he stepped into the street with Ryota toward the distant flashing lights.

 

Kotomi was beginning to panic. If it was just her in the car, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But her pregnant friend was in the passenger seat next to her and Kotomi knew that she was uncomfortable. Of course, she imagined that anyone that was close to their eighth month of pregnancy must be uncomfortable in any situation. But this was intolerable. The two of them had been sitting in her car for the past three hours waiting for the roadside assistance service to show up, but they had just called to say that there would be another hour delay due to the weather.

She had taken Kyou shopping and the last stop had been the Furukawa Bakery both to pick up some things for the pantry, and for a nice visit with Nagisa’s family. And, it had been a nice visit too… but now they were trapped. More than halfway back to her house, Kotomi could probably walk the distance, but there was no way Kyou would make it in her state.

Kotomi tried calling a cab, but they were dealing with the same weather that the roadside assistance service was, and their delays were even longer. She even tried changing the tire herself, but she lacked the strength to get the lug nuts off the wheel.

“I am sorry, Kyou-chan; I do not know what to do.” Kotomi lamented.

“It’s fine.” Kyou grunted. “I’ll try to hold out until one of them shows up. It doesn’t help that this kid decided to take up kicking practice with my bladder.”

“Kicking?!” Kotomi grabbed for her phone yet again. “Sh-Should I call for an ambulance?”

“Just calm down, Kotomi; if I have to, I’ll pop open the door and hide behind it to pee in the-”

TAP-TAP-TAP

Both women looked to the source of the sound to find someone just outside the car, wearing a mask. Kotomi started to scream, but Kyou quickly covered her mouth. “What do you want?” she asked as politely as she could.

“Are you folks okay?” Isamu asked the two women in the front seat of the car.

Kotomi cracked the passenger window open just enough to let sound in. “H-Hello…”

“We saw you at the side of the road, and wanted to see if we could help.” Isamu said, gesturing to his partner. He thought he recognized the driver’s voice, but decided to wait until he could be sure without scaring them. Just in case it actually was Kotomi, he opened up his balaclava to reveal his face, then brought up a flashlight so the women could see the face of the person they were talking to. “Can we help?”

“P-Please.” Kotomi replied nervously. “The f-front-right tire is flat, and I am n-not strong enough to change it.”

“We’ll take care of it.” Isamu said with the friendliest smile he could muster before lowering the balaclava again. “Go ahead and open the back.”

 

“No arguments!” Isamu said firmly when he and Ryota got to the back of the vehicle.

“Huh?” Ryota sounded surprised.

“I don’t care if it’s sleeting. We are changing this tire for them.” Isamu was ready to tell Ryota of his suspicion that the driver was Kotomi when Ryota’s response shocked him.

“Of course we are.” Ryota laughed as he pulled the spare tire out of the back, “Why would we abandon the people we’re looking for?”

“What? How did you know the driver is Kotomi?” Isamu hissed while he carried the jack and the tire tool.

“I wasn’t for sure about the driver, but the passenger is definitely Kyou-chan and she is _waaaay_ pregnant.” Ryota said, sounding impressed with Kyou’s condition. Then he crouched down in the street next to the flat tire and started searching for the jack point.

“Huh? How could you tell? It was dark inside the car.” Isamu asked.

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Ryota answered with a question as he reached up to touch the side of the hat he was wearing over his balaclava. Immediately, the visor popped down in front of his eyes and he said, “Night vision – passive infrared and ultraviolet.”

Isamu could say nothing. He realized he was fuming, but Ryota hadn’t done anything wrong. Being honest, it was himself that he was upset with. As Ryota had said, he had forgotten the function of some of his own gear. Of course Ryota would remember, he’s always been enamored with all the neat gadgets that the exploration team gets to use. _But, as the leader, I should have…_

“It’s probably best you didn’t use yours though.” Ryota said as he reached out to Isamu for the jack.

“Why is that?” Isamu asked.

“The visor would have made you look a little too weird, don’t you think. I mean, how often have you heard of a couple of repairmen taking a midnight stroll in a sleet storm while wearing night vision glasses.” Ryota grunted as he turned the crank and made the little jack expand.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Isamu conceded but he thought the description was pretty strange even without the night vision component. As soon as Ryota was finished expanding the jack, he took the tire tool and made short work of the lug nuts. With the two of them working on the tire, it actually took them longer to crank the car up and back down than the part where they switched out the tire.

“By the way… that flashlight trick. You shouldn’t do that again.” Ryota said while pulling the collapsed jack out from underneath the car.

“Why?” Isamu had thought it was a polite thing to do on a dark night.

“You shined the light up at your face from down near your chest.” Ryota recalled.

“Yeah, so?” Isamu asked while taking the jack and tire tool back from Ryota.

“Have you ever seen a horror movie?” Ryota intended his question to jog Isamu’s memory of the stereotypical horror movie lighting technique.

“Sure, but I don’t see what that has to do with… oh.” Isamu fumed again but this time he didn’t hold it back from Ryota, “Alright smart-ass, let’s see if you can think up a way to get Kotomi to let us talk to her for a while?”

“No way! I’m good with gadgets, not people. That’s what _you’re_ for.” Ryota said as he opened the back of the car, to put the tools and the ruined tire away. “I’ll take care of this stuff, you go talk to Kotomi-chan.”

 

Kotomi and Kyou had been watching the men from inside the comfort of the car. Kyou briefly nibbled on her lower lip as they felt the car occasionally shift. The job didn't look too difficult for them, but she felt a sense of compassion as she watched them working in the freezing rain.

“We should invite them for tea. They didn’t have to do this for us, and the weather is awful.”

“B-But…what if they are bad men?” Kotomi protested.

The purple-haired woman snorted a laugh. “Seriously? This is Japan, where bad guys are too lazy to be out in weather like this.”

“That…is true.” Kotomi conceded. “While I am not comfortable having strangers in my home…if you say that it is all right, then I will trust your judgment.”

“Besides, if they cause trouble…” Kyou carefully pulled a book out of her bag. “I’ve got it covered.”

“K-Kyou-chan…” Kotomi giggled. She could clearly remember the slim and athletic Kyou from high school – hurling a textbook with incredible accuracy and force. But the idea of this waddling, pregnant woman throwing a textbook was providing Kotomi with some much needed comic relief on this stressful night.

“Huh?” Kyou wondered what Kotomi thought was so funny, but before she could ask, the man with the open balaclava was back at Kotomi's window.

“We're done with the tire, Ko… miss.” Isamu said while scratching his head and trying to seem as inoffensive as possible. He knew he needed to somehow ask Kotomi if they could talk for a bit, “Um…”

“Would you two like to come to my house and have some tea?” Kotomi blurted out. She had wanted to invite them more naturally, but once she got the courage to speak, all of the words just seemed to tumble out. But the man didn't seem to mind – in fact, he seemed very pleased.

“Yes. Thank you very much!” Isamu and Ryota both bowed before climbing into the back of Kotomi's car.

Good job! Ryota gave his leader a thumbs-up for securing the needed invitation.

Isamu rolled his eyes. He knew that it had been dumb luck and had nothing to do with his charm or charisma.

Seat-belted in place, with their bags and tool boxes in their laps, they certainly didn’t look like they could try something sudden. This made Kotomi a bit more comfortable about taking Kyou's advice.

Isamu and Ryota watched as they passed two more men struggling down the street in the sleet. The car hadn't gone very far so Isamu guessed that the other two had watched him and Ryota change the tire. It was good of them to stick around as backup, but he didn't like the fact that they would be out in the cold that much longer.

 

“We are home.” Kotomi called out to her empty house. Well, previously empty house. She hadn't had this many guests over in a long time. Sure, Tomoya and Kyou visited often, but this time there were two… strangers. _Strangers! In… in my house?_

Kyou could feel Kotomi's unease and reached out to her to give her some assurance.

“Before we come in, we should probably go through the introductions.” Isamu said while he and Ryota stayed in the foyer.

“Yes… yes, of course. I am Ichinose Kotomi, and this is my house. You are welcome here.” Kotomi executed the greeting that Tomoya and Kyou had been helping her with. Her eyebrow quirked when she realized that this was the first time she had the opportunity to use it, outside of practice. She turned to let Kyou have her turn, but her friend wasn't there. “Kyou-chan?”

“I believe she had to go… pick some flowers.” Isamu offered, “If you like, we can wait here until she gets back.”

“Um…” Kotomi was tempted to accept the offer, but she also wanted Kyou to be proud of her for being able to do this on her own. “I will be okay. Please continue.”

“I am Urakawa Isamu. Thank you for your hospitality.” Isamu bowed and started taking off his shoes.

“I am Samani Ryota. Thank you for your hospitality.” Ryota bowed and followed Isamu's example.

“Would you… like us to call you Kotomi-chan?” Isamu prompted.

“Yes. That would be nice.” Kotomi did find that kind of address more comfortable.

“If you like, please call us Isamu-kun and Ryota-kun.” Isamu suggested.

“Yes, that would be very nice. Please come in and I will start the tea.” Kotomi was thrilled with her ability to handle this conversation with strangers alone. She headed into the kitchen with a smile on her face as she thought of how Kyou-chan might praise her for this accomplishment.

 

When Kyou got back from the bathroom, the two men had struggled out of their cold weather overcoats and headgear. Neither of them were exceptionally tall, but they both looked like they had seen some rough times. Then again, they were carrying tool boxes in sleeting weather at night, so whatever profession they were in would probably toughen up anyone. Strangely, they seemed completely at ease in Kotomi’s house.

Still, she didn’t know anything about them and they were now _inside_ the house. Remembering what she had promised to Kotomi in the car, she stopped by the big bookshelf in the living room and selected a couple of sturdy looking books before coming back to the table.

Ryota noticed Kyou coming back into the room with the reference books in her hand and gave Isamu a nudge. Both of them were quite familiar with what the lavender haired woman could do with a hard bound book. Trying not to look nervous, they sat up a little straighter in their chairs.

“Ah, Kyou-chan! This is Isamu-kun and Ryota-kun.” Kotomi gestured to the two men as she set down the hot pot of tea and the cups.

“So, it’s not that we are ungrateful for the help tonight, but what has you boys out late on such an awful night?” Kyou asked as she took her seat at the table.

“Before I tell you my story, I would like to show you some cards. This isn’t a trick. These cards were made specifically for you.” Isamu said to Kotomi.

“Lemme see those.” Kyou demanded, grabbing the cards as Isamu handed them over. She looked through them, one at a time. “None of this makes sense to me, but it doesn’t look like a trick or any…thing…” she trailed off as her look of irritation faded.

“Kyou-chan…what is wrong?”

“Oh…my…god…” Kyou breathed as she stared at the last card. She handed all but that card to Kotomi, which she kept to study intently.

Kotomi accepted the cards with a puzzled look. “Is something wrong?” she asked, then looked at the first card. “These…are my parents’ published works.” She flipped to the second. “This…looks like the bosonic string S-matrix expression, but…it has been modified, somehow.” She flipped to the third card and blushed crimson. “I…I recognize this passage, yes.”

“Day before yes-” Ryota started to recite the passage from memory.

“Please, stop.” Kotomi interrupted as the taller of the two men started to quote the well-known line from ‘The Dandelion Girl’. “That…carries some sad memories for me.”

“Oh, sorry.” Ryota looked down at his tea, then nervously over at Kyou who had a hand absently resting on one of the thick reference books.

Kotomi nodded quietly before flipping to the next card, only it was the first card again. “Kyou-chan; may I see the card you are holding?”

“Huh?” Kyou blurted, snapping out of her trance. “Uh, Kotomi? I’m not sure you’d want to see this one.”

“Why not?” Kotomi asked innocently.

Kyou sighed heavily before handing the card to her, and Kotomi noticed that her friend wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Take a look, but you might regret it.”

“Why?” Kotomi asked as her eyes settled on the face of the last card, and her breath caught in her throat.

On the front of the card was an image…of Tomoya, herself, and three children.

“Wh-What is this?” she demanded in a trembling voice as the card in her hand started to shake.

Isamu opened his mouth, closed it as he rubbed at his head, then opened his mouth again. “I’m sorry, Kotomi-chan; the Kotomi in that picture is from…our universe.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, tears starting to well.

“Have you been working on the research that your parents started. Something to do with parallel universes?” Isamu asked.

She paled, causing Kyou to sit up fully with a look of alarm. “H-How did you know?”

He took a deep breath. “Well, the Kotomi from our universe did. She created a device that would allow a few people to travel to these alternate universes.” He exchanged a glance with Ryota before continuing. “He and I are actually from that Kotomi’s universe.” he finished while gesturing at the picture.

“You’re full of shit.” Kyou declared matter-of-factly.

“They are not.” Kotomi countered. “While anyone could have generated a list of my parents’ works, this equation…” she said, picking up the second card, “…looks like one that I have been working on for quite some time.”

“And you’re going to trust them based just on that?” Kyou asked, incredulous.

Her friend nodded solemnly. “There is no way anyone could have discovered my work; I have been working this out on paper rather than on a computer.”

Kyou carefully leaned over to look at the equation card again. “I can’t make any sense of it, but if you know what it is…” she shrugged with her hands. “You trusted me earlier; I guess I can return the favor.”

“Thank you, Kyou-chan.” She handed that card back to Isamu with a still-trembling grip. “P-Please do not sh-show me that photo ever again.” she said, her breath catching several times.

“I’m sorry if I have caused you any distress, Kotomi-chan. That was never my intent.” Isamu gave an apologetic bow to the purple haired woman sitting across the table.

Following his leader’s example, Ryota made the apologetic gesture as well. He picked up on Kotomi’s sullen mood after looking at the cards, but he said nothing though. He knew that conversation was not his forte, unless it was with a bunch of like-minded gearheads talking about things with processors and memory… and sensors.

_Sensors?_ That gave Ryota an idea. A way for him to make his way into some conversation he could take part in, and a way to bring Kotomi out of her melancholy: a toy. Well, he thought of these things as toys. The research and development teams that made the high tech gadgets insisted that they were far too expensive and delicate to be a ‘toy’ but _they_ weren’t on the exploration team. They might whine and yell a lot, but if sacrificing one of the special gadgets in the hidden drawer of their tool boxes meant saving a life or success of a mission… he would do it. And, he was reasonably sure that he would have Kobayashi-hakase’s or Tomoyo-sama’s backing if he did. That being the case…

Kyou’s eyes followed the quieter of the two men’s movements as he leaned over and opened up the zipper on the bag he was carrying. He could be reaching for anything, so her hand moved across the reference book to take hold of the sturdy hard-bound tome by its binding… just in case. But, her concern changed to confusion when he lifted what appeared to be a soccer ball. Moving it over the center of the table, he let it drop the few centimeters to the table surface.

_Clank!_ The ball hit the table and did not bounce.

“Clank?” Kyou eyed the odd soccer ball with suspicion.

“What is it, Kyou-chan?” Kotomi asked, still wiping the moisture from her eyes.

Kyou pointed at the ball, which hadn't moved from its spot on the table. “The ball went ‘clank’.

Kotomi looked at the ball, then back to her friend. “And it is not supposed to do that?”

Kyou almost gave a smart-alecky reply before she remembered who she was talking to. “No, soccer balls normally don’t do that; they’re supposed to bounce.”

“I see…” Kotomi inspected the ball for several seconds before directing her gaze to Isamu. “Why does your ball not bounce?”

“Boss?” Ryota looked at Isamu to see if he should continue with what he had started.

“Boss?” Kyou prompted with a grin as she looked over at the girl genius.

“Don’t call me Boss! But yeah… tell them anything they want to know about it.” Isamu had to hold in his anger at Ryota for breaking one of the cardinal rules in front of this world’s Kotomi and Kyou.

“Our Kotomi calls it a truncated icosahedron. It is designed to look like a soccer ball, but it is actually full of sensors and a transmitter. It has a diagnostic mode. Would you like to see it? It isn’t dangerous or anything.” Ryota promised.

Kotomi looked from Kyou to the men and back before settling curious eyes on the ball. “P-Please proceed.”

“All right, if you look at the ball, you’ll see a little sparkly thing at the center of each dark pentagon. And, you’ll notice that two of the pentagons are dark blue instead of black. If you push in on both of them at the same time and hold them there for five seconds…” Ryota explained while he was doing it, so the diagnostic started as he took his hands away. Kyou didn’t think that she would need to explain to Kotomi that soccer balls shouldn’t make a bell sound - but even a complete sports novice would know that the dark pentagons on the ball shouldn’t suddenly extend from the surface of the ball randomly, spin around, and then retract back into the ball.

“Kyou-chan; may I assume that soccer balls are not supposed to do that, either?” Kotomi asked, cocking her head at the sight with an expression of interest.

“Y-Yeah,” Kyou replied, staring wide-eyed at the sensor ball. “you’re supposed to kick-”

*DING DONG*

At the same moment that the doorbell rang, a voice in Isamu’s ear announced, “It’s us.”

“Now what idiot would be out in this weather?” Kyou said, momentarily distracted. “And at this time?”

“Just a moment.” Isamu said as Kyou started to get up with one of the reference books in her hand. He needed to explain quickly, “The guys at the door. There are two of them. They are the other two members of the exploration team.”

“Exploration team?” Kyou stopped almost mid-step with a look of suspicion.

“Yeah, the sciency guys open one of those gates and four of us get sent to another world.” Isamu replied.

“ _Sciency_ …” Kyou snorted with a smirk at the uneducated sound of the word.

“Yeah… we got that expression from you. Or rather, our world’s Kyou-chan.” Isamu admitted.

“Y-Yeah…” Kyou mumbled, her smirk fading.

“Do you send the soccer ball ahead of you?” Kotomi intuited.

“Yes.” Ryota answered.

“Amazing…” she breathed.

“Um… about the guys at the door…” Isamu was liking that the conversation was flowing fairly well, but his friends were freezing outside and he wanted to steer the talk back to them, “This isn’t a trick. Our expeditions are always four guys. I can send them away if you want, but it is awful cold outside and, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to let them warm up a little before I send them back.” Isamu appealed to the two women. He knew the one to convince was Kyou. Kotomi was still fascinated with the sensor ball in front of her.

“They can come in,” Kyou started, “but before they do, I need to explain something.” She flicked her wrist. There was a blur of motion, immediately followed by a muffled sound of a blunt object making an impact on something soft. A dictionary suddenly appeared in a gap in the cushions between the two men, who lurched away from the sudden impact. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

“We won’t." Isamu promised. Having long heard the stories of Kyou’s famous dictionary attack, seeing the real thing was impressive.

“W-We promise." Ryota added, still eyeing the tome. He hadn’t paid as much attention to the character stories as Isamu had. Ever the gearhead, his attention had always been drawn to the gizmos and gadgets. So, his reaction showed a bit more surprise at the lavender haired woman’s display of strength.

_Good, ‘cause Kotomi has a lot of books here and I’m not afraid to use them!_ ...was what Kyou was about to say, but there was something about their reactions that seemed odd. Or rather… their lack of the expected reaction. Sure, the taller skinny guy seemed adequately surprised, but the other guy seemed like he had been expecting it. Considering that they had a ‘Kyou’ in their universe, though…

 

“Wow, check it out. She still has the original dining room.” Mikio said as he peered into the formal dining room from the living room.

“Yeah, and there’s no wing on this house. So that means, she still has the original study.” Kenta said as he gazed up the stairs.

“What are you talking about?” Kyou eyed both of the new visitors carefully.

“Well, ya see…” Kenta was about to regale Kyou with the amazing upgrades they had built onto the Ichinose house in their universe. Both he and Mikio had been listening in on the conversation as they approached the house, so they knew that Isamu had already told them that they were from a parallel world. What they didn’t get from eavesdropping on the conversation was a sense of just how far along Kyou’s pregnancy was. Kenta was momentarily frozen in mid sentence by the sight of her _very_ pregnant form.

Mikio turned to see what had shut up the wisecracking Kenta and saw Kyou’s profile too.

“What?” Kyou asked at the shocked look on their faces.

“Wow, you’re… really pregnant.” Kenta blurted out.

“You’re gonna make Tomoya-san so happy.” Mikio added.

“Tomoya? Of course he’s happy! Why wouldn’t he...be...” Kyou trailed off, wondering just how much these guys knew about her relationship with Tomoya. “Oh...right, _your_ Tomoya…”

“Can I take a picture of you?” Kenta asked purely as a formality. The ‘hats’ that all of the survey team were wearing had hidden cameras that had been taking digital pictures since they had arrived in this world which made the request for permission pointless. But this Kyou didn’t know that.

“Why…Why would you want a picture of me?” Kyou asked with a bit of surprise. Ever since the sixth month of her pregnancy she thought she was looking more and more like a fat cow. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would want a picture of her now.

“It would make our Tomoya really happy… at least I think it would.” Kenta replied.

“Isn’t your Tomoya married to Kotomi? Why would a picture of me being pregnant mean anything to _him_?” Kyou demanded.

“Oh… uh…” Kenta realized his gaffe too late. Kyou was nowhere near Kotomi’s intellect, but that didn’t mean she was stupid.

“Into the living room, _now_!” Kyou barked. Their hesitance told her that something was amiss. And she didn’t like things being amiss when she and Kotomi were alone with four strangers, so she figured that the best thing to do would be to get them all in the same room where she could keep her eyes on them _._

Isamu heard Kyou’s shout and he knew one or both of the other two guys had said something they shouldn’t have. His odds-on favorite would have to be Kenta. Sure enough, Mikio and Kenta looked like prisoners while Kyou stood behind them with that reference book firmly gripped in her hand. But worse than that, the air around her head seemed to be losing definition and becoming dark. _Oh boy, this would be the ‘dark aura Kyou’ that Tomoya-san warned us about. If her anger gets to the point that her eyes seem to glow like red hot embers, we’re all dead._

“I want to know _everything_!” Kyou demanded while she waved the heavy book at them as if it was a single sheet of paper.

“I will tell you everything you want to know. I won’t lie or deceive you. But… if you would allow me a moment to explain why we are here… I think it would clear up a lot of the misunderstandings.” Isamu offered.

“Make it quick.” Kyou ordered.

“In their second year of High School, our Kyou-chan threw a reference book at Tomoya-kun. She said that she never expected it to hit him. He had been able to dodge her attacks several times before. But this time, he wasn’t able to... and it hit him squarely in the face. He would have died if it had not been for the immediate first aid that he got from Ryou-chan.” Isamu told the story as he had been instructed to memorize it.

Kotomi gasped with her hand to her mouth, but Kyou kept her gaze steady and unflinching.

“Kyou-chan was pretty messed up after that and her friends were worried that she might do something… drastic. It was mostly Kotomi-chan and Tomoya-kun that saved her. They were the only ones that could.” Isamu paused for a moment since this next part was fairly risky. But this was what his Kyou-chan had told him to say in this situation… so it was probably his best bet. He answered her glare with a look of appeal and told her, “Our Kyou-chan told me to tell you this: Tomoya-kun was the only one that could save her, because she loved him.”

“I did? I mean...she did?” The book in Kyou’s hand lowered just noticeably.

“He married Kotomi-chan, but Kyou-chan was always with them. When Kotomi-chan went to study abroad in America, she took Tomoya-kun and Kyou-chan with her. When they came back, she lived with them in this house, and she helped raise... “ Isamu stopped when he remembered how Kotomi had mentioned that she didn’t want to ever see that picture again. He wanted to look at Kotomi to see if he had already hurt her, but he was afraid of taking his eyes off Kyou at the moment.

“Your Kyou helped raise their kids, didn’t she?” Kyou said, the book lowering even more. A quick glance at her friend showed her with an open look of shock.

“Yes. But Kyou-chan is much more to them now.” Isamu ground his teeth for a moment at the necessity of hurting Kotomi by saying this in front of her. But both Tomoya and Kyou had been certain that another Kotomi would understand… and might even make her happy if she heard the next part. With that in mind, he forged ahead, “Our Kotomi is lost to us. She went into one of the worlds that she opened up and then… there was an accident. We’re sure that she is still alive, but we can’t get her back… yet. But our Kotomi-chan… she was always thinking of her kids and wanted to make sure they grew up with a loving family no matter what. So… a week after our Kotomi was declared dead by the government, and according to her wishes… Tomoya-kun married Kyou-chan and she is now the mother to those three children in that picture.”

“Wh-What?” Kyou said, the book lowering the rest of the way.

“I h-had ch-children with T-Tomoya-kun?” Kotomi stuttered, her eyes wide and filling with tears. “I-I went into another world?”

“Yes, Kotomi-chan. You did amazing things in our world.” Ryota said softly.

“Wait…” Kyou intoned, the book raising to attack position again as she hurried over to stand between the men and Kotomi. “You’re here to take Kotomi, aren’t you? You’re going to take her back to replace the one you lost!”

“K-Kyou-chan…” Kotomi whimpered.

“Hey… that would just be cruel!” Mikio was repulsed by the idea, “As far as the people back on our world goes, we wants the kids’ mother back. Ta give them a replacement that looks like their mommy but ain’t… that ain’t right.”

“We just want your Kotomi-chan to look over some stuff. We brought a laptop with us that has the reconstructed data. We don’t want to take your Kotomi. We just want some help to get ours back. Really, that’s all we want.” Isamu said as earnestly as he could.

Kyou glared at them for a moment longer before the book started to lower again. “All right, but I’ll be keeping my eye on you. All of you.”

“I don’t mind that, but I still want that picture.” Kenta said with a passive smirk.

“Why do you want my picture so badly?” she bristled.

“Well ya see… Our Kyou-chan is twenty-five now. She’s married to Tomoya-kun all proper like, but she still ain’t… you know…” Kenta said while gesturing at her round belly.

“Yeah, and her papa ain’t too pleased about that either.” Mikio added.

“Wait, please,” Kotomi politely interrupted. “so...Tomoya-kun is married to Kyou-chan because I...no, your Kotomi-chan disappeared? And she is now my...or...your Kotomi-chan’s children’s step-mother?”

“Yeah… ya see, our Kotomi-chan was pretty adamant that her kids wouldn’t grow up without parents… like she did. She even put that into her will.” Isamu replied.

Kotomi’s eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out, collapsing across the sofa.

The Boys had seen Kotomi pass out many times before. It was usually from forgetting to get enough sleep or not remembering to eat anything for a few days. Under Kyou’s watchful eye, Ryota moved to the couch and put a pillow under her ankles to increase the blood flow to her head a bit. Isamu moved her hands so they were crossed over her waist. They were all content to let Kotomi rest until she naturally woke up.

“So… about that picture?” Kenta pressed.

“Take it yourself!” Kyou snapped as she checked on her friend. “Kotomi?” She gently slapped her friend’s face a few times. “Kotomi…? Wake up…”

Isamu and the other boys flinched as they watched Kyou. They had never seen their Kyou strike their Kotomi, even if it was done lightly. They took it as yet another reminder of the differences between close, but not exactly similar parallel worlds.

“...that would be the apex of…” Kotomi blinked several times as she sat up again. “Oh. That is right; I am in my home.”

“Are you all right?” Kyou asked, concern clear in her voice. “We lost you after they told us about-oh, no you don’t!” she yelled as Kotomi started to fade again. “No more fainting for you!”

While Kyou was distracted, Isamu signaled for Ryota to fetch the laptop. Knowing Kotomi, nothing would focus her attention better than fascinating data. By the time Kyou had her sitting up, the toughbook was booting up on the coffee table in front of the couch. The cameras on the front panel looked at her in frequencies of light that humans couldn’t see and gave its verdict...

“Identification… Ichinose Kotomi. Full access is approved.” a feminine voice announced over the laptop’s speakers.

“Ichinose?” Kyou said as she cradled her friend’s head. “I thought you said she was m-married to Tomoya.”

“She used Ichinose Kotomi as her professional name. Tell ya the truth… I don’t get it either.” Mikio told them.

“Me?” Kotomi sat up as Kyou released her, and she looked at the laptop screen with interest. “Is this my...or, rather, your Kotomi-chan’s laptop?”

Isamu shook his head. “No… she took hers with her into the other world. This one was-”

“We must find her!” Kotomi declared. “She might be scared where she is, away from friends and family! I know that I would be!”

“I’m really glad you’re willing to help us, but… we don’t think she’s scared where she is. She might be sad that she can’t get back to her fam… her husband and children. But, she probably isn’t scared.” Isamu sounded certain.

“That is good." she replied, calming considerably. “Nonetheless, she is not where she belongs. Is...Is there some way that I could help?”

“Here… this document is from your godfather. He has been working hard to try and get you… I mean - _our_ Kotomi back. You should read this over. It will tell you how you can help better than I could.” Isamu and Ryota sat on either side of the purple haired genius as she flipped through page after page of summary and data.

Meanwhile, Kenta’s attention gravitated back to Kyou.

“Hey, Kyou-chan… when was your last doctor’s visit?” Kenta asked innocently… but not too innocently.

“Shove your honorifics!” she snapped. The others weren’t so bad, but the one called Kenta was really starting to tick her off. He sort of reminded her of someone…

“Kenta!” Mikio hissed. He was starting to wonder if his friend had a death wish.

“C’mon… there’s a doctor that would love to take a look at her right now and you know it.” Kenta winked. He replied quietly to Mikio, but not so quietly that Kyou couldn’t overhear it.

“Uhn-uh… you can’t get _her_ involved here!” Mikio warned the troublemaker of the team.

“Why not? I bet they’d both be thrilled to see each other.” Kenta taunted.

“But… I don’t think Ryou-chan is that kinda doctor?” Mikio countered.

“Ryou?” Mikio’s gaze snapped to find Kyou nearly standing over him. And, considering how pregnant as she was, it was quite a feat. “What _about_ my sister?”

“I dunno what your sister is doing in this universe, but in ours she is a doctor. And, she’s the leader for the recovery team when we go back to our world. So… she’s kinda standing by, back at the park.” Mikio explained the best he could.

“Then we should get started." Kotomi decided as she lowered the report to the table before her. “While I will admit that I am curious about my friends...or, my friends as they are where you come from, it is more important that we find your Kotomi-chan.”

“You sound like you've figured something out." Kyou noted.

The genius girl nodded solemnly. “It is clear that this Kotomi is farther along in her work then I am, but I have been able to decipher some of the data. I believe that my difficulties in understanding are due to our foci being different.”

“How so?” Isamu wondered. According to what Kobayashi-hakase told him, if another Kotomi was too different from their own, she probably wouldn’t be able to help with the data sets.

“Were I to put it simply, it would appear that while your Kotomi-chan has created a device that allows traveling without seeing, mine allows for seeing without traveling.” She ducked her head bashfully. “Unfortunately, that is all I can say.”

“Whoa… hold up a second there. You have a device that can see the other places without going there? Wouldn’t that help us find our Kotomi real quick-like?” Mikio asked with some excitement in his voice.

“Someone wasn’t paying attention in class." Kyou quipped with a catty grin.

“Unfortunately, that is all I can say." Kotomi repeated.

“I don’ get it.” Mikio was obviously lost. He asked Isamu, “I mean… if we could find her with their machine, couldn’t we go get her with ours once we know where she is?”

“It’s probably more complicated than that.” Isamu wanted to get back to whatever Kotomi was trying to tell them, “Okay, so what _have_ you found?”

Kotomi straightened in her seat, and Kyou smiled slightly at the sight of her friend well within her element. “Assuming that I have interpreted the data correctly, it would appear that I...she...was targeting destinations with time offsets that would present a world where her parents would still be alive... and she would still be a child playing with a young Tomoya.”

“Yeah… our sciency guys figured out that’s where she went all right. The problem is that all four thousand of those destinations could be like that… but we don’t know how to narrow it down.” Isamu was impressed that this Kotomi had figured out so much so quickly, but _narrowing_ the search would be the hard part.

“What other criteria should I utilize…” Kotomi mused as she returned her gaze to the screen. Then, she blinked. “Wait, this looks like…” She shot to her feet and hurried from the room.

“Yep, that’s Kotomi-chan all right.” Mikio chuckled when her excitement level made her incoherent with unfinished sentences.

“I will need this." As everyone watched, Kotomi hurried back into the room to grab up the laptop. “Excuse me, please.” Before anyone could react, she had hurried out of the room again.

“So… your Kotomi is like that too?” Mikio asked Kyou.

“How would I know?” Kyou said. “She’s the only Kotomi I’ve ever known.”

“Well… if it’s gonna be a while, we should probably get some rest.” Mikio suggested.

“Are you kidding? I slept for twelve hours before we left for the park. I can’t sleep now.” Kenta said.

“Anyone want some pastries?” Ryota got up and was about to head for the kitchen when he remembered that it wasn’t the house he was used to, and he couldn’t just go into the kitchen and start mucking around.

“I’ll take care of it,” Kyou said as she headed toward the kitchen. “we just took care of our grocery shopping for the week, so I’m sure I could find _something_ for you guys.”

“I guess we could do what we usually do.” Kenta reached for his tool box and asked Kyou, “Is there anything in this house that needs fixin?”

 

Soon, they were all doing as Kenta had suggested. Kotomi’s house was in pretty good order, but Kyou was able to give them a short list of household annoyances that would keep them busy for a while. She busied herself in the kitchen, whipping up some snacks and started to feel generally relaxed while these men efficiently worked on rewiring an electrical switch here or fixing a wobbly toilet there. By the time she was done with the food preparation, they had already finished their first set of tasks.

Knowing that her cooking skills were fairly impressive, she watched as these guys eagerly sat down around the table with her. They were all appreciative, but none of them were surprised at what she had made. _But then, if they really are from another universe where they know another version of me there, they would already be familiar with my cooking, wouldn’t they?_

 

“She’s out.” Mikio said after several minutes of watching her sleeping face for some sign that she might be faking it. But that was unlikely. It was now in the early hours of the morning and the _very_ pregnant woman must have been exhausted.

“Great… what do we do now?” Kenta asked. He did not relish the idea of carrying a pregnant woman up a flight of stairs.

“You two, go through the bedrooms.” Isamu told Mikio and Kenta, “If you find a small bed or futon, bring the mattress downstairs. Also, whatever bedding we’ll need - to make Kyou-chan comfortable.”

“What about us, boss?” Mikio asked.

“It’s sleeping bags for us.” Isamu said firmly. Then his gaze rolled over to Mikio and he _quietly_ growled, “And don’t call me boss!”

The other three men groaned. The sleeping bags they carried were serviceable and very compact… but not really all that comfortable. Still, it would be better than being outside on a night like this.

“Ryota, you know what to do?” Isamu asked the lanky man next to him.

“Make a plate and a full glass of water. Leave it nearby but don’t interrupt her.” Ryota said.

“I knew I could count on you.” he watched the others head off to their tasks for a moment before reaching for his toolbox. Pulling the top tray out of the toolbox, he revealed the hidden area with the four specialized devices in their foam enclosures. Two of them, he still didn’t know how to use, but he knew what to do with the one that had the reflective gold sphere at one end.

Setting it up as carefully as he could, he extended the third leg to have it stand itself up. There wasn’t a lot of setup involved with this thing, but he had broken the leg off one of the practice units. It only had two buttons on it, so it was very easy to use. Holding down the first button would put it in record mode. Releasing the button would put it into transmit mode. The second button would play back any stored message. For now, he needed to record.

“We are all fine. The weather here is still lousy but we are indoors at the Ichinose residence. Kotomi-chan is reviewing the data now. This is a Kyou world. Nothing else to report. Setting to transmit mode.” Isamu said loud enough for the microphone to pick him up but quietly so as not to disturb Kyou. Then he set the thing down in the middle of the table and thought about what to do next.

It wasn’t that difficult a decision to make after all. It was already late and the weather had really tapped their energy. Sleep was the only real option now. Along with the rest of his team, he groaned internally when he looked at the uncomfortable sleeping bag… but it was better than nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Notes**
> 
>  
> 
> **Magnus Prime** **:** Author of _After Story: Reconciliation_ , and many other wonderful stories.
> 
>  


	7. Reconciliation, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A Special Note**
> 
> This is the second chapter of the two-part collaboration with Magnus Prime. And yes, as with the previous chapter, significant portions of this chapter were also written by Magnus Prime himself!
> 
> * * *

**Wednesday morning, February 2, 2011 – Kyou-2 Universe  
Ichinose residence**

* * *

Kyou moaned as she sat up, wiping a small cake of sand from her eyelids. As her eyes adjusted to the light in the room, the first thing she noticed was that the ceiling looked all wrong. She looked around and remembered that she was still in Kotomi’s living room, surrounded by lots of books - which made her feel safe. However there were also three men asleep in sleeping bags - which did _not_ make her feel safe. At first, she was alarmed until she remembered the events of the previous night.. “Oh. Right…”

As she sat up she was surprised by the weight of a blanket over her as well as the soft give of a mattress beneath her, and she started to wonder how she’d ended up in such a comfortable situation. She didn’t think too much about it though. The only real possibility was that these… strangers had done this for her. And she didn’t want to owe them any favors.

From the empty sleeping bag and the smell coming from the kitchen, she figured that one of the men was busy trying to cook something. “Well, better get up and try to keep him from burning the house down." she mumbled as she began her daily exercise routine called ‘getting out of bed’. “Ugh…” she grunted as she worked on rolling to a seated position.

“Huh?” Mikio was awakened by the grunting and sounds of struggle coming from the mattress. When he realized what was going on, he struggled to get out of his compact sleeping bag as quickly as he could, “Kyou-chan, let me help you!”

“Stop yelling,” she moaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. “and leave me alone you ape… And stop calling me ‘Kyou-chan’ while you’re at it; only Kotomi gets to call me that.”

“Uh, okay… Kyou-san?” Mikio tried.

“Better." she grumbled as she reached up to accept the proffered hand.

Mikio watched Kyou grumble off toward the bathroom so he decided to check in on Ryota. As soon as he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he noticed the communication orb on the table and there was a little light indicating in incoming message. As quick as he could, he got the orb back to Isamu, then hurried back to the kitchen.

Isamu pressed the second button on the orb and heard Tomoyo’s voice say, “Message received and understood. Good luck. We are all hoping for your success.”

“All right.” Isamu turned to Kenta and said, “Let’s get our stuff cleaned up and packed. With any luck, we’ll be going home with some very good news.” The first thing Isamu put away was the fragile communication orb. Until it was back in the foam packing in the bottom of his tool box, he was nervous he would break another one of those expensive toys.

 

When Kyou got back from the bathroom several minutes later, Kenta and Isamu were rolling up their sleeping bags and putting their things away. She could hear more sounds coming from the kitchen now and guessed that Mikio was in there with Ryota. Looking up the stairs, she wondered how Kotomi was doing. Knowing her purple-haired friend, she was probably still poring over the data from the laptop like a woman possessed. She wanted to go up and check on Kotomi, but in her condition, those stairs…

“Excuse me, Kyou-chan” Isamu said as he and Kenta approached the stairs with the mattress that Kyou had slept on.

“Stop calling me ‘Kyou-chan’! And what are you doing?”

“We’re just putting back the mattress we brought down for you to sleep on.” Isamu explained. “So, what should we call you?”

Kyou grunted as she ran her finger through her hair; it was still too early to answer questions, but he had asked a fair one. “...’Kyou-san’ will be fine for now.”

“All right, _Kyou-san_. We’ll be back in a minute. Is there anything you need from upstairs?” He asked since he had seen her gazing up the staircase.

“Just Kotomi." she quipped. “But she should really be left alone right now.”

“Okay.” Isamu hefted the front of the mattress and he and Kenta soon managed to have it up the stairs and back into the room where it belonged.

 

Rolled omelets, fish, miso-soup… the boys were putting together the makings of a full Japanese-style breakfast. But it was the pastries that got Kyou’s attention. Small and curved pastries with a perfect golden skin seemed to be layered with a berry filling of some kind. They looked like something that might come from the Furukawa Bakery, but she had never seen them there before. “What are those?” she asked, pointing at the delicious-looking pastries.

“Raspberry and blueberry pastry twists.” Ryota said proudly. He had only recently mastered making them.

Kyou’s pregnancy suddenly demanded raspberry and blueberry pastry twists, and her stomach growled. “Can I try one?”

“Please, have all you want. I like the raspberry ones the best.” Ryota said as he smiled at Kyou’s enthusiasm.

“You might regret saying that." she grinned as she reached out for one of the confections, popping one into her mouth. “Whoa!” she breathed, her eyes widening. “These are really good. How could a big lunk like you make something so good, anyway?"

Before Ryota could answer, Kotomi staggered into the room with the laptop she had taken from the boys several hours ago.

“Kotomi? Are you all right?” Kyou exclaimed, her attention temporarily diverted.

“I...I am a little tired." she murmured. “And...perhaps hungry.”

Ryota casually pulled out a chair for Kotomi to collapse into as he answered Kyou, “The Boss showed me how to make these over the winter break. I just got it down right a week or so ago though. They’re not as easy as they look.”

“ _The Boss_?” Kyou repeated. “You’re talking about Isa-something, right? I’ve heard you call him ‘Boss’ before.”

“No, Isamu is a team leader. I’m talking about _The Boss_.” the way Ryota said it, you could almost hear the capital letters.

“He’s talking about Sakagami Tomoyo. She can cook just about anything. Sweets, pastries, you name it… she’s really amazing.” Mikio gave further explanation since Ryota’s reply didn’t really answer Kyou’s question.

“Yeah…” Kyou mumbled, thinking back on her relationship with the silver-haired woman. After their fight over Tomoya and Tomoyo’s attempt at a reconciliation, the two started to become friendlier with each other. While she figured they’d never be friends in the usual sense, they at least got along a lot better. Tomoyo’s mayoral duties kept her busy, which helped.

“You two aren’t friends in this world?” Mikio asked. To him, it looked like Kyou’s reaction included some sadness or regret.

“Sort of." she said, shrugging. “We ended on a better note than we started on, but at this point she’s busy with her thing and I’m...busy with mine." she finished, patting her tummy. “Why? Are the Kyou and Tomoyo in your world friends?”

“Tomoyo came to your wedding when you married Tomoya-san.” Mikio told her. “I heard she was at the wedding with Kotomi-chan too… back when all of you were in high school. I guess you guys aren’t that close here though.”

“That’s a shame. You have a pretty good friendship in our world. What happened here?” Kenta asked.

“Hey!” Isamu warned the guys, “Some things might need to be private. Don’t push.”

“No, it’s fine." Kyou sighed, causing her bangs to flap once. “It’s been long enough.” She gave herself a minute to remember… “It wasn’t too long after Tomoya and I started dating. Tomoyo took a liking to him and I overreacted. Tomoya tried to talk to me about it, but I was too stubborn and angry to listen. I finally pushed his last button, so he dumped me.”

“Whoa… but, I guess you made up. I mean…” Kenta gestured at Kyou’s rotund belly. It seemed that he rather enjoyed doing that.

She blushed lightly. “Well _obviously_ , dummy. Anyway, so he dumped me and I basically fell apart. I mean, I’d been crazy about him since second-year, but ignored my feelings to help him get with Ryou-”

“You liked him since the second year…” Isamu was remembering their histories that he had been taught. “Yeah… so the universes were the same up to there. Our Kyou liked him in the second year too, but didn’t do anything about it.”

“Did you want to hear the story or not?” Kyou snapped, but not too sharply.

“I do… but I believe Kotomi-chan would be interested in how much the universes were the same and when they started to split.” Isamu rebutted.

“Goody. Then take notes _quietly_ and shut up.” she retorted before popping another pastry in her mouth.

Isamu and Mikio shared some sidelong glances but stayed quiet.

“Now where was I…? Dammit, I-oh, right...Ryou. So after some drama, Tomoya and I ended up together. We were doing great for a while until I let my temper get the better of me at the Culture Festival. I saw him talking with Tomoyo, put two and two together and got five million, and acted like a bitch toward him for the next couple of weeks. I eventually pushed his last button, like I said, and he dumped me.”

“So wait… he dumped her twice?” Mikio whispered to Isamu.

“Shh, let her finish.” Isamu whispered back.

“I don’t remember what happened from that point until we got together, but Ryou told me that I was a mess. I barely remember talking to Tomoya and Tomoyo about why I was the way I was, but I definitely remember…” she trailed off, her eyes losing focus.

“Okaaay…. So about that point where things became different… In your second year of high school, did Tomoya-kun have a friend named Youhei and did they play a trick on you involving letters from a secret admirer?” Isamu asked.

“Eh?” Kyou blinked out her reverie. “Anyway, I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough for him, so I lashed out at Tomoyo. Eventually we got in a big fight, and I got my ass handed to me. After that I talked with Tomoya and Tomoyo and told them about being afraid, and Tomoya and I got back together shortly after that.”

“The fight… was it with Tomoyo-sama?” Kenta asked excitedly.

“Wow, yes it was!” she exclaimed, mocking his tone. “Would you like a full description or may I leave it in the past?”

“I would have paid soo much money to see…” Kenta sounded like he was daydreaming.

“Shaddup!” Mikio bonked the taunting idiot on the head and pushed it down toward the table. He bowed with Kenta and said to Kyou, “We’re sorry for the interruption, Kyou...san.”

“God, I’m never going to finish this!” she complained. “For sounding so interested, you idiots sure interrupt a lot!” she huffed. “So, after that I felt like I needed to set boundaries with all of Tomoya’s friends...since they were all girls. He met my parents, blah blah blah… Eventually, my dad arranged things with the hospital to try to fix Tomoya’s shoulder and it worked; he was able to play basketball again.” She started to tear up at the memory. “You should’ve seen the look on his face at his first practice...it was like he was right where he belonged. Anyway, he’s been selected to represent Japan at the next Summer Olympics.”

“Olympics! Wow, that’s awesome.” Mikio gushed.

“This Kyou shore do like to talk about herself, don she?” Kenta whispered to Ryota.

Ryota only nodded his reply. He had never been interested in the histories of these people from his _own_ universe. Listening to Kyou’s story had been crushing boredom for him. He would much rather be talking about gadgets with Kotomi.

“Interesting… there was no medical solution for his shoulder injury in our universe. Tomoya-kun gave up on basketball. He went to college and law school and now he’s a politician.” Isamu revealed.

“That’s pretty cool." she mused, her eyes briefly losing focus. “I’d have to think about it, but I guess I could see him doing something like that.”

“Soooo, Kotomi-chan,” Isamu turned to the nodding genius in an attempt to get back to the subject before she passed out in her breakfast, “did the laptop help you find anything useful?” He didn’t want to tell Kyou that Tomoya was dragged into being a politician by someone that threatened to cut off the funding for their research if he didn’t.

“I believe so,” she replied groggily, “but I cannot explain my process of elimination at this time. However, I can say that I have successfully narrowed your options down a bit. More importantly, I have written a differential algorithm that should help narrow the target group further with every exploration.”

“That’s amazing Kotomi-chan!” Mikio gaped.

“Thank you very much, Kotomi-chan.” Isamu stood and bowed.

Kotomi nodded wearily before turning bloodshot eyes to her friend. “Kyou-chan, I am very tired. Will you please help me get to bed?”

“I'd love to help you, but…” Kyou trailed off as she looked down at her middle.

“Oh...of course…” Kotomi droned. “I am very sor...ry…” With that she slumped face-first into her plate.

“Kyou-ch...san, if you don’t mind… it would be our honor to help.” Isamu requested formally before any of them moved to touch Kotomi.

Kyou barked a laugh, then quickly covered her mouth. “What are you, a bunch of knights?” she whispered with clear amusement. “Fine, go ahead, but if you try anything funny...never mind." she said, waving a hand at them. “You guys are all right...except for you,” she finished, pointing at Kenta. “you remind me of a certain blonde-haired idiot.”

“Thank you, Kyou-san.” Isamu said. Then he snapped his fingers and the other three got up from the table and started getting things in motion. Mikio came back from the kitchen with a damp towel to clean Kotomi’s face up. Kenta ran up the stairs to make sure the path was clear when they carried her up to her room. Ryota pulled out the golden orb and started setting it up.

Kyou watched all this with wide eyes. “Wow, do you guys worship her in your world or something?”

“Back when you were in high school, did you know someone named Miyazawa Yukine?” Isamu asked.

Kyou though for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don’t remember...wait, didn’t she hang out in the old library? Yeah…now I remember; she was the first girl I tried to ‘set a boundary’ with… it took almost a half an hour to calm her down when she found out that I was his girlfriend. She was going to confess to him." she finished with a regretful expression.

“Interesting… she married Sunohara Youhei in our universe. Her brother was a gang leader of a bunch of no-account thugs. We were his thugs.” Isamu admitted solemnly, “He was killed and we were leaderless. We didn’t think we were worth anything and were ready to just go crazy in a rampage with a rival gang. It was Yukine-sama and Kotomi-chan that believed in us. They got us training to do construction work… and now they trust us to do this.”

“That’s… really neat." Kyou said warmly, her first time speaking to them with a tone other than snarky. “I’m happy for you, really.” She then blinked as she sat up straight. “Wait, what about Youhei? That idiot married somebody? Anybody?” She put her hand to her forehead. “Your world is so messed up.”

“What’s wrong with Sunohara… I mean… other than him being a cop?” Mikio asked.

“Okay, _stop!_ ” Kyou giggled, holding up a hand. “I’m not supposed to laugh too hard right now. A cop?” She started giggling harder.

“He’s not just a cop. He was promoted to detective a few months ago.” Kenta taunted as he lifted Kotomi into a princess carry.

“S-Someone p-punch him, p-please!” Kyou shook with mirth as she got to her feet and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

 

When Kyou got back from the bathroom, all four of the boys were around the kitchen table again. All the dishes were cleared away and there was an odd device in the middle of the table that she didn’t recognize. The golden orb transmitter was ready and it looked like they had been waiting for her return.

“What’s going on, boys?” she asked as she approached the quartet. “What’s this thing? And did anyone punch the idiot?”

“It looks…” Ryota was cut off when Mikio raised his hand.

“I punched Kenta.” Mikio confessed.

“Thanks." Kyou replied with a wink and a smile.

“It looks fancy, but it’s really simple.” Ryota continued his explanation. “It makes a voice recording, then waits to transmit it when it gets a trigger signal. It’s how we make a progress report.”

“We were wondering... would you like to make the report?” Isamu offered.

“Me?” Kyou blinked, her hand unconsciously going to her chest. “Why?”

“Well, for one thing… you might get a kick out of sending a message to another universe. That may be something your Kotomi hasn’t even done yet?” Kenta suggested.

“But also, our people would enjoy hearing from another Kyou, too.” Isamu added. “And… with what has happened in our universe recently, hearing from a Kyou that is married to Tomoya-kun might really help our Kyou.”

“I don’t know _what_ Kotomi’s done with her gizmo,” she said, “and...are you _sure_ she’d want to hear me? Wouldn’t it just hurt her more, hearing from someone who has what she doesn’t? Or, won't allow herself or whatever? I’m not sure I’d want to hear it.”

“Well… I’m no shrink, but hearing from another Kyou that is making it work - I would think that would give her courage.” Isamu thought about it then added, “There are several things about you that are different from our Kyou. But if you feel strongly that you wouldn’t like it… I won’t push it.”

She pushed her lips to the side as she stared at the globe. “Well...you know her better than I do...in a way, at least.” She sighed. “Okay, I’ll do it, but if anything goes wrong, make sure to punch him." she finished, waving a hand at Kenta.

“Hey! What did I do… this time?” Kenta appealed.

“Sure… If you want, I’ll punch him for you even if nothing goes wrong.” Mikio said.

“Hey! I thought we were friends?” Kenta rebuked Mikio.

“We are… but I like her more.” Mikio replied with a big smile.

“Naw, just if something goes wrong." Kyou replied, flipping her hair. “I have standards, after all; I only punish people who have done something wrong.”

“All right, here is the script…” Isamu pushed a sheet of paper over to Kyou.

“There’s not much here.” Kyou commented.

“That’s just the stuff that has to be said. After that, you can say whatever comes to your mind.” Isamu told her.

“Jeez, we’ll be here all night. OW!” Kenta cried out as Mikio’s fist hit his shoulder.

Isamu shook his head, then pushed the first button and nodded to Kyou.

She briefly scanned the paper before speaking. “Hello, this is Okazaki Kyou. The mission is complete. The boys are ready for recall at any time. And, uh...Kyou? Man, this is weird…” She absently twirled a lock of lavender between her fingers. “...If you hear this, hang in there, okay? And, uh, do your best. If… If we’re as alike as I think we are, you’ve got what it takes to be a great wife, okay?”

 

**Wednesday afternoon, February 2, 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Kyou was rushed into the pergola by some of the tech staff and found Kobayashi-hakase, Tomoyo, and a few of her boys gathered around the table where they always prepped. Ryou and a few of her recovery team were there as well. Nagisa was also there, still wearing her apparel from the bakery. The two of them were holding hands and looking at Kyou expectantly. Nagisa seemed more hopeful while Ryou seemed more concerned.

“What? What’s the big deal? Did something go wrong like last time?” Kyou wanted to know why she was rushed away from her school so quickly, leaving Yuki to take care of wrapping up the classes without her.

“On the contrary, everything went remarkably well. But… we thought you should hear this.” Kobayashi-hakase reached over and hit the play button.

“Hello, this is Okazaki Kyou.” the message started.

“Ah!” Kyou gasped at hearing her own voice coming out of the speaker… and with that name.

“The mission is complete. The boys are ready for recall at any time. And, uh...Kyou? Man, this is weird…”

“Yes… yes it is.” Kyou replied back to the recording.

“...If you hear this, hang in there, okay? And, uh, do your best. If… If we’re as alike as I think we are, you’ve got what it takes to be a great wife, okay?”

The recording ended and there was quiet in the room. Kobayashi had felt guilty ever since he had brought out that card that had caused Kyou so much grief. It hadn’t been an intentional slight, but he still felt responsible for causing her pain and he had hoped that this recording would help her.

“Baka.” was all Kyou said. The tears came without warning. She wiped at them with her sleeve but they just wouldn’t stop. “I know who put her up to that… Tomoyo… please promise me that when they get back… somebody needs to punch Kenta.”

“I’ll do that for you myself. But, please don’t leave yet. I believe Kobayashi has something else he’d like to discuss with you, if you have the time.” Tomoyo said with a serious tone.

 

**Wednesday early evening, February 2, 2011 – Kyou-2 Universe  
Ichinose residence**

* * *

The orb lit up just as Ryota was packing it away. Setting it back down on the table, he called out, “Incoming message, boss.”

“Don’t call me boss.” Isamu reacted automatically. Then told Ryota, “Play it.”

“Bring the ball back to center field. If possible, bring Kotomi and Kyou with you. If you can do that, there will be two additional visitors inbound.” Tomoyo’s voice called out over the small speaker in the base of the orb.

“Two visitors?” Ryota wondered.

“Kyou-san… do you think you could make it from the street to center field?” Isamu asked the pregnant woman. He had an idea who at least one of the visitors might be.

Kyou ‘humphed’ as she examined the wintry cold landscape outside Kotomi’s window. “With some help, I probably could.”

“I’ll help!” Kenta piped up.

“Shut it!” Mikio popped him on the back of the head.

“Nah, let him help this time." Kyou said, finally feeling sorry for the guy. “He’s been through a lot.”

 

**Wednesday evening, February 2, 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tomoyo looked concerned as she and Nagisa helped the twin sisters get dressed up in the gear that the exploration teams used. Much of it didn’t fit well, but they wouldn’t be in it that long.

“Tomoyo, we’ll be fine.” Ryou managed a lopsided smile, “Besides, you and I have done this before and it wasn’t so bad, right?” She hoped Tomoyo didn’t give an answer to that question… or at least an answer like the one that she would give. Sure, going out to the other world wouldn’t be bad at all, but coming back… she hated the coming back part. But, if this would help her onee-chan…

Tomoyo made a crooked smile, said nothing, and went back to tying Kyou’s boots. Personally, she really didn’t like that freezing sensation on the return trip either. That alone would keep her from ever wanting to do it again.

“Just… don’t tell Tomoya. He’ll probably go through the roof.” Kyou requested.

“I will not keep secrets from him.” Tomoyo replied without looking up from the boots she was lacing.

Kyou said nothing but gave the platinum blond a withering look.

“I won’t volunteer anything. But if he asks, I will not lie.” Tomoyo stood her ground.

“Fine.” Kyou grumbled, “You know, for two people involved in politics - you should be a lot better at lying.”

“Do you _want_ Tomoya and me to become consummate liars?” Tomoyo asked with an arched eyebrow.

“No… no, I suppose not.” Kyou admitted.

“Thirty minutes!” one of the technicians announced.

“We’ll be ready.” Ryou told him. Having finished getting her gear on, she watched her sister finish with the last few pieces. They were both hoping to see something fascinating, but Ryou was hoping this would be meaningful as well… at least for her onee-chan.

“You’ll be careful, won’t you?” Nagisa held Ryou’s hand after helping to get the gloves on her.

“I promise.” Ryou smiled and caressed Nagisa's cheek with her other hand, “We’re just going across to have a quick conversation, then coming home. Will you wait for me?”

“Of course!” Nagisa blushed at the silly question. Although, part of her blush was from her plans to greet her girlfriend the same way she had last time. Indeed, she was already wearing her swim suit under her bakery uniform.

 

**Wednesday evening, February 2, 2011 – Kyou-2 Universe  
The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Standing several meters from the middle of center field, Ryota rolled the soccer ball away and handed Kyou and Kotomi some special sunglasses. These were nicer models than the disposable ones they handed out to people that showed up to watch from the bleachers. The girls noticed that they had very little tinting, but there was a strange metallic sheen on the surface of the lenses.

“Put these on… that way you’ll get to see the full effect of the show.” Ryota said as he flipped down his own visor.

Kyou slid hers on without a second thought, with Kotomi briefly examining the lenses of her set before following suit.

From small speakers in the arms of the glasses, they could hear a voice speaking to them. “Twenty seconds.”

“What the-” Kyou blurted, snatching the glasses from her head. “I’m hearing stuff.”

“The voice is coming from the glasses, Kyou-chan." Kotomi informed her. “Fascinating…”

“All right, all right." Kyou huffed, donning the glasses again.

“Kotomi-chan, Kyou-san, at ten seconds you are going to see some light orbs on the ground. Whatever you do, don’t go near them.” Isamu warned. He knew that the orbs themselves were not dangerous, he just didn’t want someone wandering into the place where the two visitors were about to materialize.

“You don’t have to tell _me_ twice." Kyou remarked, eyeing the ground around her cautiously.

“Ten seconds.” A few light orbs appeared here and there among the dead grass of center field.

“How pretty!” Kotomi exclaimed, clapping.

“Nine.” They were seeing a few more of the little balls of light that Isamu had warned her about.

“Eight.” More of the baubles appeared until it looked like the ground was covered with them.

“Seven.” There were even more baubles and they were starting to move.

“Six.” They were moving faster now. Some in graceful arcs and others bobbed and weaved about.

“Wow…” Kyou breathed. “It’s like they’re dancing or something.”

“Five.” Faster and faster they moved.

“Four.” Their movements began to orbit a center spot as they whirled about.

“Three.” There were now so many that their combined light was a bit blinding and they appeared to blur together.

“Two.” The baubles compressed in.

“One.” Suddenly, the baubles all moved back down to the ground around the center spot.

“Zero” All the baubles then rushed up into the sky in a column until they were out of sight.

“Where'd they go?” Kyou asked as she looked up to where the lights had disappeared.

“Amazing…” Kotomi breathed, looking up as well.

What was left in the place where the light baubles had been were two figures in bulky clothes. The clothing would have made them nondescript were it not for the lavender hair streaming out from under the winter hats.

For their part, the twins just stood there back-to-back… and shaking. Kyou-chan had seen the survey teams disappear into the swarm a number of times, but it was the first time for her to be at the center of the storm of lights. And, though it was Ryou’s second time through the maelstrom of light, it was still an astonishing spectacle. Their vision cleared and they could see six figures nearby. One of them looked very… very pregnant. “O-Onee-chan…” Ryou stammered through her shock while pulling at Kyou’s sleeve.

“What is it?” her sister asked as she worked on recovering from the effects of the trip.

Ryou hesitantly pointed in the direction of the exploration team…plus two _very_ familiar faces. “L-Look…”

Kyou-chan turned in the direction her sister indicated and froze. “Kotomi? And… and me… and it looks like I’m…”

“Pregnant.” Ryou finished her sister’s sentence but she was just as surprised.

Meanwhile, the other girls were experiencing a shock of their own. “K-K-Kyou-chan!” Kotomi shuddered. “That…That is…”

“Yeah…” Kyou breathed; in spite of everything she’d already seen, it was still hard for her to believe what she was presently seeing. “It’s…It’s me…”

Isamu watched the exchange before turning to his team. “C’mon guys, let’s give ‘em some privacy.” he ordered softly. Mikio and Ryota quietly followed him away from the girls.

“Kyou-san, you’ll be fine.” Kenta said quietly before he too moved away with the others. Even more than the others, he hoped that this might help to set things right with the Kyou from his world.

“Ry-Ryou?” the heavily-pregnant woman called out; She wasn’t quite ready to ‘meet’ her alternate self just yet. “Is…Is that really you?”

“It is." Ryou replied with a gentle smile. Having been involved in Kotomi’s grand experiment for a while now, hearing the strange tales from the returning exploration teams, and her own experience on the previous mission - she was a bit more prepared for this after all. As she approached her sister’s alternate, she reached out toward her with both hands, but warned her, “I am really Fujibayashi Ryou, but… I may not be the Ryou you’re used to.”

“No kidding." Kyou said, taking a good look at the woman’s face as she took hold of the proffered hands. “Wow...Ryou… It’s your face, but...you don’t _feel_ like her.”

“Seeing you like this…takes some getting used to for me as well.” Ryou admitted with a giggle.

“Like this?” Kyou looked down at her abdomen, then over at Ryou’s _still lean_ sister, who was slowly making her way over to Kotomi. “Y-Yeah,” she chuckled awkwardly. “I guess this would be a little different.”

“I’m happy for you… Onee-chan.” Ryou decided to call this Kyou by the honorific to help break the ice.

It felt weird to Kyou having the familiar nickname coming from the familiar face of an unfamiliar person. “Th-Thanks. How…How are you doing? You seem so… _mature_.”

“Yeah… a lot of people tell me I’m different from how I used to be. The professors at the college tell me it is the _Medical School effect_. It changes you in a lot of ways.” Ryou admitted. She wasn’t apologizing for her changes. In many ways, she was proud of her newfound confidence and assertiveness. Still, she always worried about it changing her too much.

“W-Well… ‘different’ looks… looks good on you." Kyou said, still studying her sister’s alternate with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

“Thank you… onee-chan. And… uh… pregnancy looks really good on you.” Ryou said with a blush, and briefly Kyou could see some of the timidity she was more familiar with.

“You said something about medical school?” Kyou asked. “Are you a nurse, too? My Ryou is a nurse for a hospital in the next town over.”

“I’m actually a doctor." Ryou replied. “I’m the lead for the recovery team… heh, I guess that doesn’t explain much. We take care of the exploration teams when they come back. These trips can be kind of rough on them, so we take care of anyone who comes back injured.”

“Wow…” Kyou breathed. “That’s...amazing. Good for you, Ryou; I’m...I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Onee-chan." the shorter-haired girl replied, blushing again as she ducked her head. “This makes two of you who are proud of me.”

“That sounds weird, but I get it.” Kyou replied, releasing a hand to rub her swollen abdomen.

The movement drew Ryou’s attention and she looked down between them at what was obviously the body of a woman in her third trimester. “M-May I…” she asked while glancing down at Kyou’s pregnant belly.

The mother-to-be smiled softly. “Go ahead.”

Ryou knelt, then reached out more carefully than her medical knowledge told her was necessary, and gently settled her hands on the other Kyou’s stomach. “Ooohhhhh…” she breathed, then looked up to her _sister’s_ eyes. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“We don’t know.” Kyou replied. “We decided to let it be a surprise. We’ve chosen names, though.”

“What are they?” Ryou asked excitedly as she also put her head to the swollen tummy. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to hear anything with all these winter clothes on, but still… Ryou was really wishing she had brought her stethoscope with her.

“‘Ryu’ if it’s a boy, and ‘Rinko’ if it’s a girl.” Kyou said with a smile. “Mom and Dad have done so much for us that we figured it was the least we could do.”

“Wow… you’re lucky there. We… haven’t had such a good relationship with mom and dad. They haven’t approved of either of our relationships. I got a pass though… since I was becoming a doctor. But onee-chan…” Ryou still felt guilty from pushing their father’s ire onto her older sister for the last several years, but that history was nothing that involved the Kyou from this world. This _other_ Kyou seemed happy and looked like she was doing quite well for herself. Ryou smiled though there were tears pooling in her eyes. “Onee-chan, I’m really happy for you. Congratulations.”

“Ryou…” Kyou breathed. Tears unconsciously welled up as she was surprised by the sentiment from the Ryou that stood before her, even though she wasn't _her_ Ryou. “Th-Thanks.”

Standing up again, Ryou reached out and tenderly embraced her ‘sister’ as tears started to trickle over her cheeks. “I hope only the best for you and your child.”

“Ry-Ryou…”

As the girls cried, they both realized that, even though they weren’t related in this world, they were still the Fujibayashi twins.

 

Meanwhile, Kyou-chan was looking at Kotomi. Not _her_ Kotomi, but Kotomi nonetheless. And it hurt. Her heart felt like it was being torn between the joy of seeing her friend again and the guilt of what had happened… what she had done, since Kotomi had gone away. She wanted to reach out to Kotomi. She wanted to run away. She wanted to apologize. Mostly… she wanted to be forgiven. She _needed_ to be forgiven.

“K-Kotomi...” the newly-arrived Kyou-chan whimpered. She knew at an intellectual level that this wasn’t her Kotomi, but her heart didn’t care. She needed absolution, even if this wasn’t the Kotomi she felt she had betrayed. “Kotomi, I’m so sorry.”

“F-For what?” Kotomi stammered. “Y-You have not wronged me that I am aware of.”

Kyou-chan could hear the words that this Kotomi was saying and they sounded exactly like something her Kotomi would say. A small part of her mind was crying out that this was not her Kotomi, but the tears came from the heart, and her heart was crying out. Kyou-chan sank to her knees. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Kyou-chan!” Kotomi cried out and, before she realized what she was doing, she hurried over and dropped down next to her friend...or friend’s alternate… and quickly embraced her. “What is wrong?”

Her tortured mind, wrought with self-recriminations, forgot or ignored the difference between her Kotomi and this Kotomi. She reached out to a Kotomi that couldn’t know how badly she had betrayed her friend. She wanted to plea for forgiveness, but the sounds of sobbing were all she could muster.

“K-Kyou-chan!” Kotomi took the woman’s hands in her own, sympathetic tears starting to form. “Why...Why are you crying?”

Across the outfield, Ryou could see her sister in distress and wanted to go to her, but the pregnant Kyou grabbed her by the wrist. “Why are you stopping me?” Ryou asked.

Kyou briefly looked across at the other pair before settling her gaze on Ryou. “They need to work it out on their own. Your _sister_...needs to work it out with Kotomi.”

Before Ryou could make a reply, everyone heard the soft voice near their ears again, “Twenty seconds.” When they looked up, Mikio and Ryota were in the middle of center field - standing back to back and waiting for the countdown. They had all four of the bags and Kenta’s tool box with them for their trip back. As they watched, Mikio and Ryota faded out and were gone.

“We’ll have half an hour before they’ll do the next recall.” Ryou told the sister that was holding her wrist. She had been about to jerk her wrist away and demand, _What do you know of my sister?_ But that question seemed to answer itself when she looked into the familiar face.

They both looked back at where the not-pregnant Kyou-chan and Kotomi knelt in the dead grass of center field.

 

“How could I… How could I have taken him from you? I didn’t want to be happy if it meant losing you! I swear… I would never do such a thing. I… I miss you so much.” Kyou-chan pulled Kotomi into a hug and cried on the girl’s shoulder.

“Who..Who did you take from me?” Kotomi asked with a shuddering voice as she awkwardly patting the sobbing woman’s back.

“Tomoya-kun… your precious Tomoya-kun…” Kyou-chan sobbed.

“B-But Kyou-chan…” Kotomi stuttered, barely containing her own tears, “you d-did not t-take him f-from me; h-h-he chose you.”

“He… he only chose me because you let him.” Kyou-chan thought of the will and how Kotomi insisted that Kyou-chan always be close since the first days of their relationship. How, over the years, Kotomi had always encouraged and fostered the love between Kyou-chan and Tomoya-kun.

“I...I d-did not!” Kotomi replied insistently. “T-Tomoya-kun chose you long b-before I even h-had a chance!”

“Huh?” Something about Kotomi’s response had seemed off. Kyou-chan backed away from Kotomi a bit and stared at her. She seemed a little smaller than the Kotomi she was used to, and _that_ was the trigger to bring Kyou-chan back to reason. _This is not my Kotomi_ _after all_ _._ Smiling crookedly at the confused girl that reminded her of the friend she had lost she said, “I.. I’m sorry for being such a nuisance.”

“You are not a nuisance!” Kotomi said through a teary smile. “You are a wonderful person. You are a wonderful… _friend_.”

“Thank you… I hope my Kotomi feels the same way when we get her back. But… I can tell that you are a good friend to your Kyou here. It makes me happy to know that we are friends in both worlds.” Kyou-chan said while wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Th-Thank you." Kotomi said as she also wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. “Do...Do you feel better now?”

“Yeah… thanks. Really… I’m sorry to worry you. I don’t usually meet someone and burst into tears like this.” Kyou-chan tried to make a little joke of her actions.

“That _would_ make for an awkward first impression." Kotomi noted.

Kyou-chan’s jaw fell and she looked at Kotomi with wide open eyes. “You… you did it! Kotomi-chan, that retort was perfect!”

“I did? What did I do?” Kotomi asked, cocking her head.

“Oh yeah… sorry. I guess I’m still thinking of you as _my_ Kotomi. She’s still working on banter and timing. But that… that was perfect.” Kyou-chan wondered if this world’s Kyou had been working with her Kotomi on developing her social skills and understanding humor like she had with hers.

“Oh. I see…” Kotomi replied, blinking several times. “Well, I am glad if my words made you happy.”

“Yeah… they did.” Kyou’s thoughts about the relationship between this world’s Kotomi and Kyou pulled her attention over to the other Kyou. The one that was pregnant with Tomoya’s child… in this world. Something that her parents were pushing for in her own world. Tomoya was willing too. But it was something that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do. Somehow, it would seem like the final betrayal.

 

“Sh-She’s looking over here…” Kyou said anxiously to her ‘sister’. ‘She’s l-looking over here…”

“Heh… she’s probably envious.” Ryou said and gave Kyou’s pregnant belly a gentle tap.

“How come? What does my pregnancy have to do with it?” Her eyes widened. “Is..Is she sterile or something?”

“No… nothing like that. You recall I mentioned an issue with our parents? Well, we are both twenty-five now and they want their grandchildren. They’ve been pushing onee-chan pretty hard since I can’t have any in my relationship.” Ryou explained.

Kyou briefly considered asking about Ryou’s situation, but figured she couldn’t solve _all_ the world’s problems, let alone those of other worlds, so she stuck with the one before her. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Onee-chan is wracked with guilt. She’s got it in her mind that she took Tomoya from Kotomi, even though it was Kotomi’s wish. Kotomi even said she wanted onee-chan to give Tomoya children in the will… But, issues of the _heart_ are not so easily solved, are they?” Ryou sighed.

“You got that right." Kyou murmured, thinking back on her own situations, first with her sister, then with Tomoyo.

“Are you ready to talk to her?” Ryou asked.

“N-No,” Kyou admitted. “but people don't get chances like this very often, so…lead the way.”

“Why don’t you wave them over. I think it would make both of you more comfortable.” Ryou suggested. She also didn’t like the idea of her very pregnant ‘sister’ walking across this frozen ground.

“O-Okay…” Kyou faced the other pair and waved, showing them the biggest smile she could manage in spite of her nerves. As the other two women drew near, something was becoming apparent to the pregnant woman; Either her other self was wearing heels, or… “She looks taller than me." she noted.

“Yeah… and her boobs are bigger, too.” Ryou mentioned, since it bothered her that they had become larger than her own as well.

“I doubt that,” Kyou said defensively. “I’m preparing for a kid, you know.”

“Yeah… ever heard of the Newman Protocol? Never mind. Just be careful around Kotomi. She can be very sneaky… without even trying.” Ryou warned her other-world sister. Part of her still twinged when she thought of the _surprise_ Kotomi had sprung on her sister half a decade ago.

“Um, okay." Kyou said, not really sure what her ‘sister’ was trying to say.

“Hello Kotomi-chan.” Ryou said politely as the other two approached.

“H-Hello, Ryou-chan,” Kotomi replied with a bow. “I hope the day finds you well.”

As the two started their conversation, Kyou-chan made her way over to her very pregnant counterpart.

“Hey." the pregnant Kyou greeted when the visiting Kyou got close enough.

“Hi… um… Kyou-chan?” Kyou-chan said to the pregnant version of herself. She was trying to control her emotions but there was no disguising the envy she had for her other self’s pregnancy.

“Just ‘Kyou’ is fine,” said the other. “the only one who calls me that is Kotomi, and that’s because she’s too uncomfortable otherwise.”

“Then, you can call me Kyou-chan since I’m used to it from everyone.” the visiting Kyou-chan offered.

“Fair enough." Kyou said as she rested her hands on her swollen tummy. “It’ll feel weird, but whatever floats your boat.” She studied her other self for a moment. “Are you wearing heels or something?”

“Um, no.” Kyou-chan answered the odd question. She knew she was wearing the same boots that Ryou was wearing. They had a little bit of a padded heel but nothing that would give her the elevation of high-heels.

“Then how are you taller than me?” Kyou asked.

“Oh that… yeah, I’m taller than Ryou too. We’re not so identical any more. Of course we never were identical twins in the first place.” Kyou-chan said.

“Yeah, we're fraternal twins. But that doesn’t answer my question." Kyou said, looking up at her ‘twin’ expectantly.

“I lived abroad for… several years. Apparently I went through a growth spurt while I was there.” Kyou-chan answered.

“Jeez, where’d you go?” Kyou exclaimed. “And how much are the tickets?”

“Kotomi-chan took me to America with her when she went abroad for her education. She took Tomoya-kun too. Of course Tomoya-kun and I couldn’t get into the same university as her, but we went to one that was nearby and got our degrees.” Kyou-chan felt like she was rattling on.

“Wow!” Kyou sighed, shaking her head. “Well, next time you’re in America, pick something up for me, would you?”

“Are you kidding? A trip _here_ is a lot more impressive than a trip to America!” Kyou-chan laughed.

“Okay, stop!” Kyou exclaimed, laughing as well. “Yes, I was kidding! Mercy!” She looked up at Kyou-chan and realized… “Can you lose the hat, or whatever that is? I’d like to take a better look at you.”

“S-Sure.” Kyou-chan took off the hat and the outer coat, but it was just too cold to disrobe any further. Unfortunately, the ill-fitting exploration clothing didn’t do her athletic body justice. And yet, enough could be discerned to tell that she was definitely in good shape.

“Damn,” Kyou grunted as she looked up into her alternate’s newly-revealed face. “I think you’re prettier than I am. Good thing Tomoya’s not here.”

“Taller only means prettier for models, and I’m a school teacher - so, I don’t think I’m prettier than you. But, where is your Tomoya-kun?” Kyou-chan asked. “It’s odd that neither of our Tomoyas could be here.”

“At training caaaamp!” Kyou whined. “It sucks that he’s not here to massage my feet! Seriously, though, he’s at basketball training camp.” She started to tap at the ground with her toe. “It’s really hard not having him around just ‘cause… well, I miss him.”

“You can’t go to him?” Kyou-chan asked.

“Aw it’s only for a week, but I couldn't go anyway because of _this_." she said, resting her hands on her stomach.

“How… how is the pregnancy? Are you okay?” Kyou-chan asked. She wanted to know more about this other Tomoya, but her curiosity about the pregnancy got the better of her.

“It’s okay, when this _kid_ isn’t pummeling my bladder." Kyou said. “Otherwise, it’s about what you’d expect; sleeplessness, muscle pain…” She looked over Kyou-chan again. “You’d probably handle it a lot better than I am. Damn, you’re almost an Amazon.”

“I’m not _that_ tall. Did you ever meet Youhei’s sister?” Kyou-chan mentioned, “Mei got a college scholarship for Volleyball. That little girl is almost two meters tall. So I don’t feel so tall at home.”

“Well I don’t know her, but good for her." Kyou replied, not sure what else to say. “Besides, I didn’t know the blonde idiot _had_ a sister.”

“Yeah… he’s actually a pretty good friend in our world.” Kyou-chan felt uneasy with the slam on their friend. It reminded her of how acerbic she used to be back in high school… before the accident.

“S-Sorry." Kyou said with a genuine look of contrition as she saw the look on the other’s face. “I’ll watch my mouth from now on. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“It’s okay. Different universes and all. But in ours… he hasn’t been blond since high school, and his son will probably grow up and marry our daughter… er… Kotomi’s daughter.” Kyou-chan smiled at thinking of how close the two pre-schoolers were.

“Marry...wow…” Kyou tried to imagine the blonde idi-er, Yohei married, let alone having a kid. Still… “Yeah… You know what? Good for him!” she decided. “As much as I thought he was a jerk in school, I’m glad he’s doing well. Somewhere.”

“Hey.” Isamu had approached the group of girls with his toolbox in his hand and told them, “The accelerators are charged up. We need to leave soon. So… whenever you’re ready.”

The two Kyous looked from Isamu to each other. “I don’t feel like we had enough time." Kyou said.

“Ya know… since you’ve done it once, I bet you could get away with doing it again. I mean… you could come back in a month or so, and see the baby if’n ya want to.” Kenta offered.

“Would Kyou-chan like that?” Kyou asked, sending a wink and an impish grin to her ‘twin’.

“Oh _yeah_ she would!” Kyou-chan looked like she was getting a surprise birthday present.

Kyou gave her another wink before shifting her gaze to Kenta. “Good job, oaf; you finally said something right.”

“Well, I figured it was only right after gettin all them pictures of you sleepin last night.” Kenta rejoined.

“You _what_?” Kyou yelled, then turned to her ‘twin’. “Would you please punch him? I don’t want to risk hurting the kid.”

“Wait… please!” Isamu appealed, “the return trip is kinda rough. I’d rather no-one is injured _before_ the trip. Can I promise that he will get punched once we get back?”

“I’ll take care of it." Kyou-chan promised, grinning as she drove a fist into her hand. “Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m living in one of those anime shows.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Kyou said, “though my life feels more like a visual novel than an anime.”

“A what?” Kyou-chan looked over to Ryou but she looked equally confused.

“All right Kenta, let’s get these two back to their car.” Isamu said while looking at his watch.

“Wait,” Kyou said, grabbing Kyou-chan’s arm. “I want to see her off.”

“Are you certain, Kyou-chan?” Kotomi asked. “The car may not be too far away, but it would still be quite a walk for you.”

“I can deal with it this one time." Kyou insisted. “It just doesn’t seem right, having her leave without being able to say good-bye… properly.”

“If you’re sure?” Isamu felt that he should insist but he felt a slender hand close on his arm.

“Surely, you must have _some_ idea of how stubborn _she_ can be?” Kyou-chan said with a mirthful smile.

“In that case… let me give this to you here.” Isamu opened his tool box and pulled out the golden orb device. Handing it over to Kyou, he said, “You’ve seen how it works. We’re not really sure what the range is, but we know it works from the Ichinose house. If the light ever comes on, there will be a message for you from us. It’s really the only way for us to let you know that we might be coming… and it’s uh… kinda fragile.”

“Then maybe you’d better take it.” Kyou said as she carefully transferred the device to Kotomi’s hands. “I’m already lugging around a globe of my own, anyway.”

“Snrkt!” Kenta almost succumbed to a fit of laughter. Then he spread his hands wide and said, “And _WHAT_ _a globe_!”

“You-!” Kyou briefly turned red before sticking a finger in Kenta’s face. “I hope this is a boy, and that he grows up big and strong so he can kick your ass!”

“But seriously, Kyou-san…” Kenta indeed looked serious as he addressed the pregnant woman, “You can ask your mirror image here if I’m lyin, but I swear it’s true. If you wanna lose the fat that you put on during the pregnancy, ask Tomoyo to help you out. You may end up hating her again, but she will train you seriously and you will be happy later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” she grumbled as she withdrew her finger. “Thanks...I think.”

“It’s true.” Kyou-chan said while Ryou nodded her head. Then, she leveled her gaze at the other Kotomi and added, “And, in our world, she even got Kotomi-chan into a workout routine that made her a lot… healthier.”

“Seriously?” Kyou said as she exchanged a glance with her genius friend. “I’ll _definitely_ keep that in mind then.”

“As will I." Kotomi said, much to Kyou’s surprise. “If Kotomi-chan could do it, then I could do it too… maybe.”

“I’m sorry, but we really need to go now.” Isamu told the group. He made a bow and Kenta joined him, “Thank you for the hospitality while we were here. And… for the help that we asked for.”

“You’re welcome.” Kyou replied. “It was good meeting all of you… yeah, you too, idiot.” she said, directing the last bit to Kenta, who smirked as he straightened.

“I am glad that I could be of assistance, and I wish you success in your search for… me… my… your ‘Kotomi-chan’.” Kotomi said. “I wish you a safe journey home.”

“Yeah, what she said.” Kyou added. “Well, about the journey part, at least.” Her gaze then shifted to her other ‘self’. “Kyou-chan…” She hurried forward and grabbed up her alternate in the best hug she could manage, considering her larger-than-normal girth. “Take care of yourself, okay? And don't beat yourself up anymore… okay?”

“I… I’ll try.” Kyou-chan appreciated this support from another her.

“She means she’ll try not to.” Ryou corrected the words to match her sister’s meaning.

“Twenty seconds.”

“Yeah… that.” Kyou-chan smiled as she was pulled away by the others to the transition point in the middle of center field.

Isamu, Kenta, Kyou, and Ryou all stood back just as the announcement came to them.

“Ten seconds.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.

“Seven.

“Six.

“Five.

“Four.

“Hey, don’t forget to have that spare tire looked at.” Isamu hollered over his shoulder at the two women holding on to each other a short distance away.

“Three.”

“I...I will." Kotomi promised.

“Two.

“One.

“He means the one on the car... Kyou-saaaaan!” Kenta hollered just before they winked out of existence.

“Zero.”

Kyou shook her head with a snort. “What a jerk.”

“Kyou-chan…?”

The heavily pregnant woman looked over at her genius friend. “Come on, Kotomi; let’s get out of here. Looks like you have a new toy to play with.”

 

**Wednesday evening, February 2, 2011 – The Park Across From The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Kyou thought she must be having a flashback of that awful time when Nagisa and Tomoya were slowly dying as they froze to death in the hot bath at the Furukawa house. She and Kotomi had done everything they could to bring warmth to Tomoya’s freezing body, and it had finally saved him. This was that kind of cold. It was so much more than skin deep – she felt the penetrating coldness all the way to the core of her body. And it hurt. Movement caused agonizing pain and even breathing was excruciating.

Then, as suddenly as the the cold had hit her, there was warmth. The warmth was all over her but, unlike the penetrating cold that froze her all the way through, the warmth started on the outside and worked its way in. It seemed to take forever for the numbing chill to be eradicated from the core of her body, but slowly… it did get better.

“Fujibayashi-san! Fujibayashi-san, can you hear me now? If it’s too difficult to talk, try squeezing my fingers.” A voice came from near by.

She didn’t recognize the voice but that would make sense if she was in one of the recovery tubs with some of Ryou’s team members. It was, in fact, too difficult to talk, so she tried her best to squeeze the fingers.

“AH! STOP! STOP!” the voice cried out.

“Fujibayashi-san, you’re breaking her fingers!” another voice cried out in distress.

“Sorry Kyou.” a familiar voice said to her right before there was a flash of pain on the side of her face, then she was back in the oblivion of unconscious thought.

“You didn’t have to hit her!” one of the medical personnel in the tub with the now unresponsive Kyou yelled at Tomoyo.

“Yes she did.” Ryou was wrapped in a robe having just got out of her tub. There would be no repeat of the embarrassing incident of last time. Facing her crew, she ordered, “I want a full work-up performed on her. I want to know if she was having a seizure or a spasm. She is the first to react like that and I want to know why.”

As several of her staff moved to comply with her orders, Tomoyo glared at Ryou until the robed girl moved over to the tub and spoke to the girl in the swim suit clutching her aching fingers.

“Are you okay? It really hurt didn’t it?” Ryou asked.

“Y… yeah, but I think I’ll be okay.” the girl replied through a forced smile.

“I know my Onee-chan is very strong and I’m worried that it might be more than just bruising. I want to see x-rays of your hand by tomorrow morning. Okay?” Ryou said it as a question but there was no doubt that it was an order.

After the swim suited girl got out of the small tent, only Ryou and Tomoyo remained. Ryou glanced at the platinum blond and was glad to see that the glare was gone. She smiled and looked back down at the tub.

“You thought I only cared about my sister, didn’t you?” Ryou asked.

“No. But for a moment I thought you didn’t care about your underlings.” Tomoyo replied.

“Underlings?” Ryou chuckled, “What a weird concept.”

“What do you mean?” Tomoyo asked.

“I only have this job because of Kotomi’s insistence, you know.” Ryou looked up at Tomoyo and told her, “All of these team members are older than me. They have more experience than me. Most of them are licensed Doctors and some of them are even Surgeons. The mere idea of calling them _underlings_ is so backwards that it’s… ridiculous!”

“I… I didn’t know that.” Tomoyo wondered how Ryou was able to manage it. She was in charge of _the boys_ because she was recognized as the top dog among them. To be the weakest of the group and still be in charge… seemed wrong at first. _No, there is more to it than that._ “Ryou… It may seem backwards or ridiculous. But, they do follow your orders and seem to respect you. To me… that’s pretty amazing.”

“Thanks, Tomoyo.” Ryou was a little dazzled at the unexpected compliment.

“So… you’re not upset with me for hitting your sister?” Tomoyo asked.

“No. I had thought about a tranquilizer, but by the time someone got back with one, that girl’s fingers could have been badly mangled. What you did was the best course of action after all.”

“Huh.” Tomoyo looked stunned.

“What?” Ryou asked.

“It’s just… you’re being a lot more reasonable than I had expected after seeing… what I did.” Tomoyo observed.

Ryou just smiled at the compliment. She knew that she had always been the calmer and more reasonable twin, but it made her smile to hear others say it. For most of her life, she had admired her Onee-chan’s outgoing and strong personality. She had been dangerously close to developing a _second place_ , _not quite good enough_ , _in the shadows_ kind of mentality before she met Nagisa.

“Debriefing in twenty minutes!” A voice from outside the tent shouted.

“Looks like I need to get dressed.” Ryou pushed aside the flap and shivered as the cold February air hit her. Too cold for further pleasantries, she hurried off to the small tent set up for her to get dressed in.

Tomoyo watched her running off in only a thick robe and sandals. Hmm, she looks like someone visiting an onsen in the winter time. The thought had a sudden appeal that made her think of _other things_ … _I wonder if Isamu would like to go to an onsen with me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> **Onsen** **:** Hot springs.
> 
>   
> 


	8. Kotomi's Homecoming

**Monday night, November 15, 2010 – The park across the street from the Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

All of the equipment was in place, the teams had finished their checklists, and the countdown was getting close to the first launch window. But this time Kotomi didn’t see any strangers around, and she was glad for that. Despite her slow but continuing improvements in social interactions, crowds of people still made her uncomfortable. So, thanks to the weather, Kotomi didn't feel as nervous as she had on the previous event. Clearly, no-one wanted to come out on this abysmally cold and wet night.

The rain and cold were inconvenient, but as far as Kotomi was concerned - the worst part was the mud. Sure it was cold and wet, but she was wearing clothes designed to keep her comfortable in such inclement weather. But the mud made everything slippery and increased her chances of falling if she wasn't paying enough attention. And paying attention to her surroundings was never more difficult for Kotomi than when she was right in the middle of one of her projects. Fortunately, there was no mud around her at the moment.

The exploration team’s pergola wasn't very warm, but it was dry… and the wooden floor kept her away from the mud. The sounds of the pergola being tortured by the blustering wind may have worried others, but Kotomi heard none of their complaints. Her laptop was open and she was concentrating on the data that was coming from the accelerators. Others seemed to be yelling, laughing, and joking about the weather, but it was only peripheral noise to Kotomi. As long as she could feel Tomoya's presence next to her, she felt the freedom to put her entire concentration into the changing numbers on her display.

The numbers looked good, but the time that it took the four accelerators to achieve synchronicity was still taking longer than she liked. She made a note to have the technical teams go over all the equipment and look for variances that could be hampering the process.

“First launch in ten minutes.” a voice interrupted Kotomi's thoughts, but not in an unpleasant way. After worrying about systemic inefficiencies, she felt assured by the announcement that everything was going according to schedule and the weather was not causing them any delay.

“Is the sensor ball in position?” Kotomi asked the tech team without taking her eyes away from the screen full of data on her rugged laptop. Today’s waveform model had already been uploaded to all four accelerators, but it wouldn’t do to be carefree at such a crucial time.

“Yes hakase.” a response came back immediately, “We’ve been running tests and it is reporting back perfectly.”

“All sensors are operational?” Kotomi asked. There had been some problems with the prototype and she hadn’t heard a definitive update yet.

“One of the temperature sensors is not responding, but we have good data on the other temperature sensors.” the technician replied.

“How many temperature sensors are in that ball?” Tomoya asked. His was one of the few voices that could pierce her intense concentration.

“Four.” Kotomi answered his question and expounded on the answer, “There are four of each sensor in the ball. None of the sensors, or even the cameras, are large or expensive, so we decided to go for quadruple redundancy.”

“Oh… well I guess we should get something back then.” Tomoya said.

“Yes, Tomoya-kun. That is why it was designed that way. With quadruple redundancy, the likelihood of not getting any useful data is so low as to be insignificant.” Kotomi noticed his face change from a weak smile to a defeated look and she realized only too late that he had been trying to make a joke.

“Yes dear.” Tomoya replied kindly as he patted her arm.

“So, what kind of place should we expect this time?” Isamu asked Kotomi - mostly to end the awkwardness of Tomoya’s failed joke.

“Oh yes,” Kotomi turned her rugged laptop around so that all of them could see the screen. Everyone looked at the displayed waveform out of habit but it seemed that only Melissa was impressed by it. “I selected this waveform for today’s mission. Of the available waveforms, it appears to be as different as possible from the waveform used in the last attempt.”

“The waveform that we used last time… wasn’t that waveform selected because you suspected it to be the _closest_ to us in time?” Isamu asked.

“Yes, there were signatures in that waveform that led me to that conclusion. It should also have been close to us in other environmental aspects like climate, socio-economic conditions, and personal circumstances, but that turned out not to be the case. So, to verify that hypothesis about time, we will need to test it using this waveform.” Kotomi answered with an explanation of what the goal of today's mission was.

“And environmentally?” Melissa asked.

“All we can be sure of is that there will be a Tomoya-kun and a Nagisa-chan. Beyond that, anything is possible this time.” Kotomi answered. _The Boys_ _seem excited and cheerful at the news, but Tomoyo-chan doesn't look pleased. Then again, perhaps I am misunderstanding Tomoyo-chan's expression. I shall ask Tomoya-kun about it later._

“How soon?” Tomoyo asked.

“Huh?” Kotomi wasn’t sure what Tomoyo-chan was asking.

“After the sensor ball is launched… how soon will we know if you were right?” Tomoyo clarified her query.

“It should start taking measurements immediately and it is programmed to call back in five minutes with the first of the collected data.” Kotomi assured her.

“It will have the time information you are looking for then?” Tomoyo asked.

“Yes… as long as the destination world has a JJY system that the sensor ball can receive, then we should have the time data after the first broadcast.” Kotomi elaborated on her previous answer.

“So… in about ten minutes we will know if your hypothesis is correct.” Tomoyo sounded a little terse as she said it. She also seemed uncomfortable with what she had said – or what she was thinking. But Kotomi didn’t notice this. Her attention was focused on the laptop screen again as the time finished counting down.

“Three… two… one… zero, the probe is away.” the voice sounded in their ears. Kotomi watched her screen as the data started coming back. Something was wrong with the little probe’s collection and transmission functions. It was supposed to collect several minutes worth of data from all of it’s working sensors and send it all back in a burst transmission, but it was coming in live instead. _Hmmm, someone must have mis-programmed the collection and transmit function._ Kotomi didn’t mind – in fact she liked not having to wait for the data. But it did mean that the constant transmission might be picked up by something on the target world and it would run the on-board battery down a lot faster. She would make more notes for the technical team on those points, but for now it was the incoming data that had all of her attention. As hoped, the weather was much better on the other side. And as expected, the date was far from the current date. In fact it was…

Others were talking around her, but her eyes were riveted to the time and date code that was being reported back.

_54 Minutes_  
22 Hours  
129 Days  
1993  
Sunday

Kotomi was frozen in shock as her eyes scanned over the reported date yet again.

_129 Days, 1993_

_That would be… May 9, 1993..._

“Earth to Kotomi-chan!” Melissa called out loudly. Kotomi noticed that everyone in the pergola was looking at her.

“Huh?” Kotomi finally responded. She sounded like she had forgotten that everyone was still there and just realized that she was in a room with other people. Her hands flew over her keyboard, sending commands to various systems as she replied, “I apologize for my inattention. I need to make sure that I am not getting anomalous data.”

“Anomalous data?” Tomoyo sounded confused as she checked her watch, “But it hasn’t been five minutes yet, has it?”

“Yes… that is why I must be sure.” Kotomi abruptly folded up her laptop and stood. In a few moments, she had her raincoat on and was heading for the door-flaps. “There is something I need to check on.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Tomoya started to get up but Kotomi waved him off.

“No, that will be unnecessary. I believe it will be best if you stay here.” Kotomi said quickly before she hurried out through the billowing flaps.

“Okay,” Tomoya said as he sat back down.

 

As soon as she was out of the pergola, Kotomi ran toward the target zone in the middle of center field. All caution was forgotten now. The date from the probe was still emblazoned in her vision.

_May 9, 1993_

_They're still alive… they're still alive! I can see them again! Maybe… I can even save them?_ Her heart was racing and the excitement was building in her chest as she thought of the possibility that she had been presented, “Is… is that really too much to wish for?”

The date and the excitement brought back the memories of that awful time in her life. Terrible scarring memories that haunted her sleep in the form of nightmares and incapacitated her with fear when something happened to bring those memories flooding back. And they were flooding back now.

_NO! I mustn't let the fear take me now. Not now! I can beat this… I can save them!_

Too much excitement and too little attention wasn't good in the mud slick ground. Amazingly, she had kept her footing until she ran past the ropes that surrounded the target zone. A misstep sent Kotomi into an ungraceful sprawl on the slick ground. She slid through the mud until she was only a few meters from the target area. Her gloves and shoes were filthy now, but it was the rain slicker she was wearing that was the most defiled. However, she was much less concerned about herself being dirty than she was about her laptop.

_It's a Toughbook._ Her subconscious played back the memory of her decision to buy the rugged laptops for herself and for her team. It was true that they were somewhat more expensive than other laptops and their performance wasn’t at the bleeding edge… but they were incredibly rugged. In fact, they were so sturdy, you could drive a truck over them, set them on fire, then blast them with a firehose – and they would still work. So, this little accident should be nothing. Still, she instinctively opened it up and made sure it was still working after being dropped in the mud.

The Toughbook was fine, and the instructions she had set up were still waiting for her to hit the execution key. The four indicators on the accelerator widget told her that the charge was ready and waiting. Looking around, she saw the white painted grass of the target area only a few meters away. Crawling the short distance to the middle of the target, she touched the keyboard to execute the final command, then closed the Toughbook and held it tight to her chest.

 

**Sunday night, May 9, 1993 – The park across the street from the Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Kotomi blinked when she no longer heard the wind and water pounding against her raincoat. It was still night time when she opened her eyes, but not nearly as dark out as it had been. And, it was a great deal warmer. Her raincoat still had mud and water on it, from the tumble of just a few minutes before… but nothing around her was muddy or wet. Pulling back the hood of the raincoat, she saw that there were not enough clouds to hide the stars and the gibbous moon in the sky above. It did indeed feel like she had been transported to a new place.

_I must tell them what I've done. Tomoya-kun will be angry with me, but… it can't be helped._ Kotomi opened her laptop back up and linked to the sensor ball a few meters away. Aside from having it send collected data directly to her, she could use it's transmitter to send a message back through the decaying portal… if she hurried. Fingers flying over the keyboard, she sent a quick message of explanation and apology and hit the icon to send it back to her world.

_Transmission Error._

“Eh?” Kotomi's eyebrow arched at the unexpected message. Even if the rate of time change was significantly different between the two worlds, she should have had time to send the message out. Concern grew as she opened other applications and started running diagnostics both on her laptop and on the sensor ball. The results weren't too in-depth so they came back quickly. The laptop was fine and communications with the sensor ball were verified as well. The sensor ball itself was in good shape too. From all the tests she had run, there was only one issue that stood out.

_No Connection to Prime._

‘Prime’ was the name that everyone used to identify their home universe. It was based on the theoretical model that Kotomi had come up with to describe the Illusionary World and how it played a role in all their experiments. She had long ago realized that they were using the shortcuts made by a being from a different branch of the world that they were from. The Ushio’s were from world where Tomoya and Nagisa had a child and – due to a number of unfortunate circumstances, those Ushio’s were constantly trying to find a branch of the parallel worlds where she could live with her mother and father. Because of that, Kotomi referred to her own world as Prime-minus-Nagisa-subUltimate. The name indicated that her own reality was a branch from the one where the Ushio’s came from. However… as accurate as that might have been, none of her peers liked the idea that they came from a ‘branch’ of the true world. So, they shortened Kotomi’s reference name to just ‘Prime’.

Kotomi tried to think of the reasons why she wouldn't be able to connect to the receiver back on her world but, with all the tests on her side showing that there were no issues, the only possibility that she could think of was that there must be some kind of issue… back home. She started to review the data from the last few moments before the transition, but there was something else she needed to take care of first.

_So hot!_ The May evening's temperature wasn’t really that high, but Kotomi was still wearing her arctic-grade cold weather suit, gloves, heavy boots, and a muddy raincoat. Another person might have been embarrassed at taking off the cold weather suit in the middle of a baseball field, but that thought didn’t occur to Kotomi. It was an outer garment – worn over other clothes. So, even if it looked like she was taking off her pants in public – Kotomi thought nothing of it.

What did bother her was the growing fear that she was alone again. If something really did go wrong with the gate, then she would be cut off from… everyone. Tomoya-kun, Kyou-chan, her children… everyone was on the other end of a connection that didn’t seem to be there anymore.

As soon as she had the cold weather garments off, she was back on her laptop. With not much else she could do, she tried running another diagnostic on the sensor ball's transmitters. As soon as it passed all of it's tests, she attempted another communication…

_No Connection to Prime._

“No… I don’t want this.” Kotomi whimpered with building anxiety while watching the screen. She ran through the diagnostics on the laptop and the sensor ball again and again. With every attempt, she also tried to reconnect. Unfortunately, the results were the same every time – there was nothing wrong with her equipment. And yet, every attempt to establish communications was… futile.

_No Connection to Prime._

“Why?” she mumbled through desperate sobs. “I just… I just wanted to see them. Just once… Why!”

If anyone had walked through the neighborhood park on that early May morning, they might have missed the oddity of a young woman sitting by herself in the middle of center field and bawling. Kotomi's body rocked back and forth a little bit while she tried to control her tears and panic. But the movement wasn't enough to draw the attention of a passer-by. If anything, the dimly glowing screen on the laptop would have been the first thing anyone noticed. Laptops existed in 1993, but they weren't all that common.

“Noooo.” Kotomi moaned. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of the situation. But screaming into the night wouldn't resolve anything, and it might bring unwanted attention to her. With that realization, fear began to gnaw at her. She knew from listening in on some of the training that Tomoyo put _The Boys_ through, that late night was a good time to move about unseen. However, the risks were that you would be out there when other people that wanted to move about unseen would also be about. That wasn't so much a concern for _The Boys_ since they were all tough men, able to hold their own in a fight. But Kotomi knew that she wasn't as tough as _The Boys_ and she was… alone. Knowing she had to quickly get to a safe place, she considered the Furukawa Bakery – but it was after midnight now and they would surely all be asleep. Aside from that, they wouldn't know who she was.

_Nagisa-chan would only be eight years old now…_ Thinking about Nagisa's age reminded her that it would be her birthday in only a few days. And her parents would be leaving for their trip…

Wiping the tears from her eyes one last time, Kotomi decided to take action. She had come here to see her parents so _that_ would be her destination. Now that she had a goal, she wanted to quickly get to it. Frantically grabbing her discarded cold weather gear, she tried to stuff it into her computer backpack. The heavily insulated clothes were far too bulky though, and she thought briefly about just throwing them all away in one of the park's trash cans. But, another thought occurred to her.

Kotomi ended up discarding the raincoat after all. The tumble through the mud had not only dirtied it – there was also a long rip in the fabric where it must have caught on something sticking out of the ground. But the cold weather suit was in excellent shape. Balling it up with the arctic rated gloves, she left the bundle as a gift at the back door to the Furukawa's place. She knew that the Sanae from her universe had about the same build and hoped that she would accept the gift.

Turning back to the streetlamp studded road, it was time to start her walk up the hill and across the bridge. Kotomi had walked from the park to her house many times. But this walk would be different from all the others. This time… she was going home to see her parents.

 

**Monday early morning, May 10, 1993 – On the way to the Ichinose residence**

* * *

The walk was longer than she remembered. Then again, Kotomi rarely made this walk alone… or in the dark. Certainly, she had never made this trek in the wee hours of the morning… at least, not on foot anyways. The anticipation… the dream of seeing her parents alive again still loomed large in her mind, but with each step she took, she also noticed the eerie surroundings. The streetlamps that lined the street made little pools of light in the darkness. She could see small bugs flying around near the bright glow of the overhead lamps, then watched as her own shadow grew large after passing underneath the light pole and walking back into the in-between darkness. As her anxiety grew, she found herself walking quickly from one illuminated puddle to the next. She could feel momentary safety under the light, but was frightened by the stretches of darkness between the glowing havens. Aside from the tricks that the darkness played on her eyes, she also heard strange noises in the darkness that worried her.

A fluttering sound… she told herself that it must be a bird or a bat.

A scurrying sound… could be a startled cat, or a… rat.

A scraping sound… The fear increased when she could think of no logical reason for a scraping sound. The backpack that held the laptop seemed to grow heavier on her shoulders and the sensor ball she carried was starting to pain her left arm. She knew the ball had been designed to be as light as possible, but she had been carrying it for a while and her fingers were starting to feel numb from the effort. As soon as she passed under the next streetlamp, she transferred the ball to the other arm. But there was nothing to be done about the heavy backpack.

Kotomi started to pant as she got close to the last bridge… and the last few blocks from her house. Her nervousness and uncharacteristic fast pace was giving her a level of exercise that she wasn’t used to – and it reflected in the pain she was feeling in her feet, legs, back and shoulders. But the pain was forgotten when she got to the bridge. She didn’t remember the bridge being so dark. There was a streetlamp on the road at either end, but nothing on the bridge itself. The middle of the bridge was lost in darkness along with the details of the little creek that passed underneath it. It was true that the wan light from a gibbous moon was there to make sure the night wasn’t completely black, but it didn’t help Kotomi’s eyes enough. She had been staying to the pools of light all this way, and her night vision was spoiled. For several anxious minutes, she stood under the streetlamp on her side of the bridge and watched the far side. She was able to calm down a little by telling herself that she hadn’t seen anyone or… anything come through that light puddle while she had been watching – so the bridge should be safe. The short pause had also given her a moment to catch her breath before setting foot on the dark bridge.

Mustering her courage, she took the step. Realizing she was holding her breath, she forced herself to breathe normally. _It’s just the old stone bridge. I’ve been across this bridge lots of times. N… nothing has ever happened to me on this bridge so… it’s just a bridge!_

“Oh, hello there.” a voice called out of the darkness just in front of her.

“Eek!” Kotomi couldn’t help the squeal from her surprise and fright.

“I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” the voice sounded disarmingly sincere and even… a little bit familiar.

“Why are you hiding out here… in the dark?” Kotomi wanted to sound forceful and demanding, but her nervousness betrayed her and it came out more like fearful pleading.

“I’m not hiding. But I guess it is hard to see me in the dark. I guess that’s why I like this old bridge. The darkness here lets you really see the stars and… gives me the peace to think.” he finished the response sounding troubled.

“I see.” Kotomi turned toward the dark ravine and looked up at the sky. Her eyes were still getting used to the low light level, but she could see the sky full of stars – where the occasional cloud didn’t hide them. Deciding to test his explanation, she asked, “Which constellations are you looking for?”

“Well, Centaurus and Virgo are out there now, but what I’d really like to see is the conjunction.” the man replied.

“Conjunction?” Kotomi knew that Centaurus and Virgo were traditional May constellations but she was unaware of the conjunction he was looking for.

“Well, it’s still a few hours off. Actually, it’s a whole day off… but tomorrow morning Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter will be lined up in the eastern sky.” he sighed.

“Those aren’t stars.” Kotomi said dryly. She also noticed the sigh with the response and remembered some of the lessons from Kyou on picking up audible cues. “Something else is bothering you.”

“Indeed… but I don’t feel obliged to discuss more than that with a stranger.” the man said with a tone that sounded more of humor than disdain.

“What if… I am not a stranger?” Kotomi asked. She was sure of the man’s identity now, even if there was no way that _he_ would be able to recognize _her_.

“Oh? Are you going to suggest that we are acquaintances?” the man’s humor seemed to be fading.

Kotomi wasn’t sure, but she believed the change in tone and inflection might mean that he was becoming agitated. It was time to reveal her secret to him, if she thought she could trust him. She thought back to all the years she thought of him as a ‘bad man’ - and how that all changed when Tomoya-kun gave her the courage to speak with him sincerely. From that moment on, she knew she had always misjudged him and that he had been a true guardian and then… a stalwart friend. _How could I not trust you?_

The man tipped his hat and turned away from the bridge railing to walk away from her.

“Your name is Kobayashi Jun. You are a scientist and a university lecturer. You are good friends with the Ichinose family. Although you haven’t interacted much with their daughter, the fact remains that Ichinose Kotaro and Ichinose Mizue trust in you enough that… they have named you as the guardian of their daughter – should anything ever happen to them. And, if I remember the stories and the events correctly, you just came from their house where you discussed their upcoming trip.” Kotomi said the words as if she had been reading them from a script, but without any emotion or feeling. But the feeling was there. Her free hand was clenched in a trembling fist and her heart was beating faster as she thought about the tragedy that would be playing out in the next few days.

“What? How could you know that? Who are you?” the alarmed man demanded.

“Hakase, if we don’t stop them from getting on that plane, you will have to fulfill that duty. And that little girl will live out the rest of her life with the pain of having lost her precious parents.” Kotomi’s voice now trembled with the memories of those terribly painful emotions, and feelings of absolute loss.

 

“Hakase?” Kobayashi Jun was surprised to hear the strange woman blurt that out. At this point in his career he was a research scientist, but he had not yet achieved such a lofty title.

… _if I remember the stories and the events correctly…_

… _if I remember…_

_Past tense. This woman is speaking as if this is already something that has happened? Is she some kind of self-professed fortune teller? No, she knows too many details about me and about the Ichinose’s! But she was wrong to call me ‘hakase’ unless…_ A sudden thought occurred to him that was impossible and outlandish. _However, to draw from the famous English author, if you can discount all the possible answers, then the impossible must be considered._ He pulled out a cigarette lighter and ignited it so he could see this strange woman’s face.

“Ah!” Kotomi reeled back from the sudden appearance of a flame not too far from her face. Her reaction was instantaneous. Her free hand swung wildly at the flame even as she took a step back to get away from it. The swing would have gone wild, but Kobayashi was also moving to catch her – thinking that she had tripped and was falling. The flame was extinguished as the disposable lighter was knocked out of Kobayashi’s hand and went sailing out into the darkness of the creek-bed under the bridge.

The flame had only been there for a few seconds, but it was enough. Kobayashi saw the impossible in the brief flickering night. The woman’s face and purple eyes certainly had Mizue’s features, but with the deep purple hair done up in bauble ties… just like the Ichinose daughter. _Just like…_

“Kotomi… chan?” Kobayashi asked in astonishment and disbelief while his mind struggled to understand how something like this was possible.

“Yes.” Kotomi gasped in relief. She didn’t know what she would do if he hadn’t believed her.

“How can this be? Time travel is… is…” Kobayashi’s mind could not accept such fantasy.

“It’s not time travel. I am from a parallel universe that is farther along the time line than yours.” Kotomi offered.

“Ah… so there would be no paradoxes or repercussions into your world then? I mean… from you being here and telling me about future events?” Kobayashi asked, but he already sounded relieved.

“No. What happens in a parallel universe, stays in that parallel universe.” Kotomi had once heard Youhei sum up her long description that way and decided to use it now - to save time. “Hakase, please… my parents haven’t left for the airport yet, have they?”

“No. But knowing them, they’re probably too excited about this trip to get any sleep.” Kobayashi considered all the options. Truly, a rather large collection of concerns were dismissed when she told him that she wasn’t a time traveler. So, since there would be no paradoxes, there ended up being a great deal of freedom in choosing what to do next. Considering the anxious woman standing in the darkness next to him, he knew what she would want. From what she had already said, it was evident that this alternate-Kotomi had indeed lost her parents and suffered the pain and loss that she had spoken of.

“Hakase?” Kotomi prompted after the silence had grown a little long.

“Kotomi-chan,” Kobayashi said with a grin that she couldn’t see, “let’s go have a chat with your parents.”

 

**Monday early morning, May 10, 1993 – The Ichinose residence**

* * *

“Are you asleep?” Mizue asked quietly.

“No.” Kotaro rolled over and looked up at the dark ceiling. “I can’t stop thinking about the trip.”

“Yes. It is a wonderful opportunity. If… if only it was a week later.” Mizue said her wish aloud, but she knew it was impossible. The symposium had been planned for over a year. To suddenly have the chance to represent their thesis before such an esteemed audience was an incredible opportunity. Possibly, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“You’re worried about Kotomi’s birthday party?” Kotaro asked as he reached for her hand in the dark bedroom.

“Yes.” she admitted while grasping his searching hand.

“We’ll make it up to her when we get back. Besides, she has friends coming over for a birthday party. It will be different this time.” Kotaro said. In addition to his wife, he was also trying to convince himself. At first, he had rejected the idea of leaving on his precious daughter’s birthday and leaving her all alone… but he had reconsidered the offer when he heard that little Tomoya-kun and some other friends would be there to play with her. Still, he and his wife had been there for every one of her birthdays so far and it felt wrong somehow to leave her just because she finally had some friends.

“I know… we do owe it to the university, and all the people that have been supporting our research. I realize that.” Mizue’s acceptance didn’t sound like she was entirely convinced, “I just don’t feel right – leaving her behind like that. Are you sure we can’t take her with us?”

“She would have to cancel her first ever birthday party with friends.” Kotaro replied. He had thought of that possibility as well. But seeing Kotomi make a friend had been a significant achievement for her and it wasn’t something he or his wife wanted to impede.

“She’s going to be very upset.” Mizue said sadly. She gave her husband’s hand a squeeze and rolled over to put her head on his shoulder.

“We’ll send her the best stuffed bear we can find.” Kotaro promised.

“That may not be enough.” his wife worried.

“Then… we’ll tell her the big news when we get back. I’m sure she’ll forgive us then.” Kotaro sounded more confident.

“You mean?” Mizue asked in surprise. She hadn’t expected he would suggest that.

“Yes, I think she’s old enough…” his words were cut off by an unexpected ringing sound.

_Ding Dong!_

“You’re kidding.” Mizue said as she pushed herself up on her elbow to look at the clock on the nightstand.

_Ding Dong!_

“Whether whoever-it-is is kidding or not…” Kotaro said sourly while rushing to put on a robe, “they’re going to wake Kotomi if they keep ringing that doorbell.”

“Be careful!” Mizue warned her husband as he rushed out of the bedroom. She couldn’t imagine who would be ringing their doorbell at this time of night… or morning.

 

_Ding Dong!_

Kotaro rushed down the stairs as quickly as he could. He thought about grabbing a baseball bat, but he couldn’t remember where he had stored it. Instead, he would rely on the door chain and hope that it was sufficient if he ended up having to deal with a scoundrel.

_Ding Dong!_

“I’m…” he cut himself off from yelling _I’m coming_ since the goal of getting there quickly was to avoid additional noise that might wake his daughter. Finally, he was at the foyer. After turning on the porch light, he carefully put the chain on before throwing the bolt and opening the door. Glancing through the crack that the chained door provided, he was briefly shocked to see Kobayashi Jun standing there. His friend had left several hours ago and now he was unexpectedly back and… smiling.

“Jun… did you forget something? Or are you drunk?” Kotaro asked through the narrow door opening.

“I’m not drunk. And I didn’t forget anything. In fact, you could say that I found something.” Kobayashi replied with a wink.

“Oh?” Kotaro wasn’t used to seeing his normally serious friend like this. It occurred to him that Jun might be lying about not being drunk. On the other hand, Jun was a capable researcher and had a fine mind. He had been involved in their research from the beginning and it was possible that he had just had a moment of brilliant insight. Cautiously, Kotaro asked, “So, what did you find?”

“This!” Jun stood aside to reveal a tall young woman.

She was carrying a soccer ball in one hand, but it was her features that made him gasp. He was staring at his wife’s face with his daughter’s hair and eyes… He was sure that those were his daughter’s eyes wet with tears that were streaming down her face. Thinking that this must be some kind of apparition, he was stunned when the young woman bowed and spoke.

“Good morning, Otōsan.” Kotomi said through her joyous tears.

 

“WHAT!”

Mizue was startled when she heard her husband’s shout. He sounded very surprised, but not afraid. She had already put her robe on and wanted to run down the stairs to find out what had alarmed her normally unflappable husband. But the shout had been too loud and she knew she must check on Kotomi first.

“Okāsan,” the young Kotomi said as she stepped out into the hallway. Rubbing her sleepy eyes she said, “I heard a loud sound.”

“That was your father. I’ve never heard him surprised like that before.” She thought for a moment if she should be reacting as if it was something dangerous, but there were no more outbursts coming from downstairs and her husband’s voice seemed to indicate that he was amazed more than anything else. Turning to her daughter with a smile, she asked, “Do you want to come downstairs with me and see what has surprised your otōsan?”

“Yes.” the sleepy little girl said simply. She was still very tired and sleepy, but there was a certain thrill about being up past her bed time with her parents.

As they made their way down the stairs, Mizue recognized the voice of their friend Kobayashi and… a woman’s voice that seemed oddly familiar. _I wonder if Jun has finally got himself a girlfriend?_

“Kotaro!” Mizue called out from the bottom of the staircase where she paused with her daughter. “Who is at the door?”

“It’s Jun and… a friend. You should come and meet them.” her husband called back to her.

“Okay.” she called back, then turned to her daughter and quietly told her, “If it’s Ojisan Jun and one of his friends, this may become very boring for you, so it’s okay if you go back to bed after you greet them.”

“Okay.” the child replied before walking along with her mother to the living room. She had heard her parents reference someone named Jun many times before, but didn’t really know who he was. If it was one of the people that worked on mother and father’s _important papers_ , she wouldn’t remember them. Those people tended to disappear into father’s study as soon as they came over – and rarely interacted with her. Still, she was out of bed after midnight now – and that in itself was exciting for her.

When the young Kotomi got to the living room, she looked up to see a stern looking man and a woman… The woman was taller and wearing different clothes but her face, her eyes, and her hair looked like…

“Okāsan!” the woman cried out when she saw Kotomi’s mother.

“Hey, you look like me.” the little Kotomi said in wonder. She was still looking at the older and taller version of herself when she felt her mother’s hand let go of hers and watched her mother collapse to the floor.

 

“Okāsan!” the elder Kotomi cried out again as she watched her mother’s eyes roll up and her body drop as if she were a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Dashing to her mother’s side, Kotomi scooped the unconscious woman up into her arms. Stamina was something she still lacked, but physical strength was much improved from her high school days – mostly because of Tomoyo-chan’s efforts to get her to exercise more.

“Okāsan!” the younger version of herself cried out in alarm when this stranger picked her mother up so willfully. “Don’t take my Okāsan!”

“Kotomi-chan,” the elder Kotomi said to her younger self, “I am only taking her to the couch where she can lie down more comfortably. Would you like to come along too?”

“Um… okay.” the little Kotomi followed her elder self over to the couches while the two men rushed to get a glass of water and the first-aid kit.

The two men weren’t sure that Mizue had injured herself, but the first-aid kit would at least have some pain killers in it… and she would likely need those. Arriving back in the living room, Kotaro saw his wife’s head resting in the lap of this older version of his daughter – and the woman was crying as she brushed her fingers through his wife’s brown hair. Suddenly, it was too much.

“Isn’t that going too far? I mean, she does look a lot like Kotomi, but… what kind of joke is this?” Kotaro demanded.

“Eh?” Jun raised an eyebrow at his friend and asked, “Have you ever known _me_ to be a prankster?”

“Otōsan,” Kotomi glanced at her younger self before continuing, “do you not believe that I am who I claim to be?”

“I… would like to. But there are simpler explanations for this, so if we were to apply the principle of…” Kotaro was interrupted by the woman claiming to be his daughter.

“… Occam’s razor, then the simpler solution should be the more correct one.” Kotomi finished his sentence, but added, “But in this case, you will find a preponderance of evidence that the simplest solution will probably _not_ be right.”

“What evidence would that be?” Kotaro was still doubtful, but there was excitement around a very slim possibility that this could actually be real.

“You will have the opportunity to run blood, fingerprint, and DNA tests. They will show that I am a perfect match… probably. To be honest, I am still not sure how close our parallel universe counterparts are – at that level.” Kotomi admitted.

“Even if they do show the match you expect, those tests take time. How can you convince me now?” Kotaro countered.

“Very well.” Kotomi turned to her young self and asked, “Kotomi-chan, are you upset with your Otōsan and Okāsan right now?”

“No.” the small Kotomi answered curiously. Her head tilted as she tried to imagine why she would be upset with her parents.

“Then you have not yet told her about the trip?” Kotomi asked her father. Or rather, the question sounded more like an accusation.

“Ah!” Kotaro hadn’t thought this woman would bring up something like that.

“What trip?” the young Kotomi asked innocently.

“Never-mind that for now.” Kotomi said hurriedly, “Kotomi-chan, do you recall a recent conversation in the back yard - when you asked your parents why you were named _Kotomi_?”

“Yes.” the young girl was about to repeat the answer but the older version of herself put a finger to her lips.

“Let me see if I can tell you what your father said.” Kotomi closed her eyes to bring the memory of that moment into sharp focus and repeated the words that she remembered, “The world is composed of countless harps that cannot be seen. Harps are also called _koto_ in Japanese. The world is full of harps and each one plays a different sound. All those sounds combine together to create a single melody. And that’s why the world is such a beautiful place.”

“You didn’t really tell her that did you?” Kobayashi said with his face in his hand. He didn’t want to believe that anyone would have said such an embarrassing thing… even to a child. _But if anyone could say_ _such a thing_ _with a straight face, it would be Kotaro._

“Word for word.” a stunned Kotaro replied while looking at the elder Kotomi in disbelief.

“Then… she is the real thing.” Kobayashi said quietly. He had believed the woman’s tale… or rather, _mostly_ believed it, from the beginning. There had still been a shred of doubt in his mind, but no more. He stood silently now, as did Kotaro. Glancing at his friend, he wondered if Kotaro had gone into shock. _Or perhaps his prodigious intellect is busy trying to figure out how this could happen._

Kotaro wasn’t wondering how or why… not yet. He was simply taking in the splendor of the moment. His wife lay on the couch with her head in the lap of a grown up version of their daughter while their actual daughter stood just in front of her seated elder self. The elder Kotomi had her hair up in the familiar baubles that his daughter usually wore. The younger Kotomi didn’t look that way at the moment since she had just come from her bed though. His daughter’s hair was instead in a sleeping braid but it was the same color. Their faces were a little different too, but he could see how his little girl could grow into that face. But the eyes… there was no disputing that they had the same eyes.

Seated and standing across from each other, both of the Kotomi’s were now brushing their fingers through their mother’s brown hair. The younger Kotomi would look back and forth between her mother and this woman that was crying, but also smiling at the same time. She was looking up at the woman’s face when she heard her mother’s voice.

“Why are you crying?” Mizue asked. From where her head lay in the woman’s lap, she could see the faces and eyes of both this young woman, and her own daughter. She had awakened to the feeling of their gentle fingers running through her hair – the same way she comforted her daughter when she was hurt or sad. She had never realized just how _loved_ the person getting that attention felt… until now.

“I haven’t seen you in so long. I… I missed you so much.” Kotomi’s smile darkened for a moment as her memories ran back many years. She vividly remembered herself as a panicked little girl as she ran through the big house in an effort to find the missing parents…

The parents that she had yelled at and called _liars_.

The parents she had said that she hated.

The parents that she wanted back more than anything in the world.

The parents that would never be there again. Kotomi choked on the horrible memories as if they were asphyxiating her.

“Why? What happened?” Mizue asked in alarm at the obvious emotional pain she was seeing. Her maternal instincts were screaming that this suffering woman was her own grown daughter, but her logical mind was not allowing her to accept such a preposterous idea.

“Plane crash.” Kotomi said through her tears. With the wash of emotions, she had forgotten about the little girl just in front of her until after she had said it.

“Plane crash?” Kotaro repeated in surprise.

“Yeah… about that.” Kobayashi returned to his businesslike demeanor. He hadn't forgotten about the presence of a child, but he was able to communicate his message without painting any dreadful pictures, “Change in plans. You two are not going to the symposium.”

“What?” Mizue said. She was ready to challenge her friend's comment, but the elder Kotomi's eyes had popped open and looked so hopeful at what had just been said.

“I don’t think that’s your decision to make.” Kotaro challenged his friend.

“This is not a debate, Kotaro. If I have to, I’ll call the police and tell them that both of you are making designer drugs for a local crime lord.” Kobayashi said levelly.

“They’ll arrest us for that. We’ll be in jail until they figure out it’s a lie.” Kotaro said angrily.

“Yes they will. Maybe not jail, but house-arrest at the very least. And I’m aware that it will ruin my reputation and probably end our friendship, but… at least you’ll be alive to be upset about it.” Kobayashi said.

“Now listen…” Kotaro was heating up and started to argue, but was interrupted before getting too far.

“We’re not going.” Mizue said. From where she was laying on the couch with her head in the elder Kotomi's lap, she could look up at two heads of deep purple hair and look into two sets of matching purple eyes. She reached up and took one hand from each of the two daughters and held them tight. Looking up into the similar girls, she said, “If we were waiting for some kind of sign about whether to go or not, I would have to say that this is a pretty definitive _no_.”

“Go? Go where?” the young Kotomi asked.

“Otōsan and Okāsan were invited to an important meeting.” Mizue explained to her young daughter, “It would be very good for our work if we went to that meeting. But, to be able to go there, we would have to miss your birthday.”

“What?” Kotomi cried out.

“It’s okay. We’re not going after all.” Mizue assured her crestfallen daughter.

“But… what about your work?” Kotomi was thrilled that they decided to be there for her birthday, but her mother had just said how important the meeting was. And the little girl knew that her parent’s work was very important to them.

“Don’t worry about that.” Kobayashi said, “I’m sure that a chat with this young lady will be worth missing a hundred of those meetings.”

Kotaro couldn’t deny that. If this young woman was from another parallel universe, the fact that she was here would mean confirmation or modification of their theories. In either case, it would be the singular most significant event in all of their research. And yet…

“I still find this all a bit difficult to believe.” Kotaro said.

“Those who seek out the truth must not be arrogant. You must not laugh at miracles just because they cannot be explained scientifically. You must not turn away from the beauty of this world.” Kotomi replied.

“A philosopher?” Kobayashi asked.

“No… she quoted me again.” Kotaro admitted as his disbelief took a fatal blow… as well as his hubris.

 

An hour later found Mizue sitting on the couch with her sleeping daughter in her lap. The younger Kotomi had initially found it exciting to be up past her bedtime, but that excitement had worn off and she was now sleeping in her mother's arms. Mizue was still too excited for sleep though. The daughter from the future … no, from a parallel world that was in the future – had revealed one fascinating thing after another.

The laptop and the sensor ball had amazed both of them as well as their friend, Kobayashi. But her descriptions of how far she had taken their original work and even created a practical experiment to test it out… it was simply unbelievable.

“Tell me more about this Illusionary World!” Kotaro said in wonder. His mind was already in flight with ideas and dreams of seeing these places himself. However, he was far more interested in visiting the Illusionary World itself, rather than using it as a gateway to other connected universes. “Where does this Ushio entity come from?”

“She…” Kotomi paused for a moment when she realized that there were some things she would need to validate before answering, “Do you know of the Furukawa Bakery that is across the street from the nearby park?”

“No.” Kotaro answered.

“I was there once. There was a nice lady that was working inside, but her bread was… well…” Mizue tried not to be too critical but she remembered that the bread had almost made her retch.

“That would be Furukawa Sanae. She and her husband have a daughter named Nagisa that is a half year older than me. Ushio is her daughter.” Kotomi told them.

“We must do everything we can to make sure that our world's Nagisa also has an Ushio!” Kotaro exclaimed.

“No!” Kotomi suddenly realized her mistake. She could see that the other three adults were surprised at her sudden denial and explained, “Ushio is the result of a union between Furukawa Nagisa and Okazaki Tomoya.”

“Tomoya… kun?” Mizue's eyes opened wide at the implication. She glanced down at the daughter in her arms and wondered how crushed she would be if her very first friend ran off with another girl.

“Yes, Okāsan.” Kotomi confirmed to her mother that it was the very same Tomoya that had been coming around of late.

“Yeah… I could see how that could be a problem.” her father admitted. Still holding out hope for an Ushio in his universe, he asked, “But childhood friends don't always become lovers. There is no reason to believe that love will develop in this universe like it did in yours, right?”

Kotomi didn't want to believe in her father's logic, but it was an acknowledged truth that most of the waveforms did not seem predisposed to a Tomoya and Kotomi pairing. For some reason, she was very saddened by this.

“Kotaro!” his wife admonished sternly.

“Well… logically…” the embarrassed father was about to explain.

“Kotomi-chan,” Kobayashi wanted to confirm an educated guess, “You married the Tomoya-kun in your universe, didn't you?”

“Yes.” Kotomi answered. The reminder that she had achieved that dream brightened her up a little.

“Oh Kotomi, I'm so happy for you!” Her mother cheered from the couch.

“Congratulations.” her father said stiffly, but he was glaring at his friend Kobayashi a bit for saying something that might have been better left undisturbed.

“Do the two of you have any children, by any chance?” Kobayashi asked despite the glare he was getting from his long-time friend.

“We have three.” Kotomi said.

“Three!” Mizue covered her mouth from the uncontrolled shout she had just made.

“Shuichi and Shuji are twins. They are in their first year of elementary school. Michiko is about two years behind them.” Kotomi offered as additional information since her mother seemed to be so excited.

“I don't suppose you have any pictures of them with you?” Kobayashi prodded again, but this time without being under the glare from Kotaro. He noticed that his old friend seemed just as interested in this new development as Mizue was.

“Yes. I have many pictures from a recent Koyo trip we took with the children and many friends.” Kotomi said as she folded the screen of her laptop down into tablet mode and touched the screen to open the folder with all the vacation pictures.

The other three adults in the room were fascinated with the power of the laptop and the function of the touch-screen. But their faces changed to astonishment when the screen's border became a picture frame and a beautiful portrait exploded into view. Kotomi and a grown version of the boy that had been visiting were in the picture along with another girl with long lavender hair. And, in the foreground were three beautiful children.

“You've got some beautiful grandchildren, Kotaro.” Kobayashi said quietly as he peered at the picture with the others.

“Yeah… I guess I do.” Kotaro said as he touched the picture of the happy children that he might some day see in his own universe. However, when he touched the screen, it changed to another picture of Kotomi, Tomoya, and the lavender haired girl laughing together. Even his terribly shy daughter seemed to be having fun with friends. A minute later and the screen changed again to a shot of the three children surrounded by many other children in front of a stand of trees with bright red leaves.

“The bright red leaves of Japanese Maples.” Mizue commented on the trees, even though she was most happy to see that her grandchildren seemed to be healthy and surrounded by other happy children. “Last autumn seems so long ago.”

“And yet, for me it was just a little over a week ago.” Kotomi could tell that her mother was emotional and wondered if her own mother might have taken her on Koyo trips… if she had lived.

“How long can you stay?” Mizue suddenly felt like she should learn anything and everything that she could from this elder daughter from another universe.

“Well… that is a problem. I was unable to establish a connection back to prime. My hypothesis is that something happened back on my world that caused the connection to fail.” Kotomi explained.

“What does that mean?” Mizue asked. She wasn't sure if this was just an inconvenience or if it meant that…

“I could be stuck here.” Kotomi admitted.

“What!” Kobayashi and Kotaro shouted their surprise, but Mizue took her daughter's hand and held it warmly.

“What are you going to do?” Kobayashi wanted to do anything he could to help, but he knew that their technology was at least three evolutions older than what the elder Kotomi had been working with.

“What am I going to do?” Kotomi repeated the question back to herself then came to a decision, “The first thing I must do, is confront Tomoya-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> JJY: Japan’s radio broadcast system for time code. Similar to WWVB in the US.
> 
> Obi: the wide belt that is worn over a kimono.
> 
> Truncated Icosahedron: a ball made of hexagons and pentagons – a soccer ball.


	9. Planning a Better Party

**Monday afternoon, May 10, 1993 – Near the Okazaki residence**

* * *

“Tomoya-kun.” the woman’s soft and strangely familiar voice called out from the shadows of the convenience store’s awning.

Okazaki Tomoya, an energetic second grade boy was shocked to hear his name called out and looked around to see who might be calling him. There was only the lady standing near the entrance to the convenience store, but she didn’t look familiar… or did she? Tomoya took another look and realized that she was like a grown up version of his friend, Kotomi-chan. He had already met Kotomi’s mother, so maybe she was an aunt or… a sister? Realizing that he was staring at the lady, he tentatively called out, “Onee-chan?”

A hot flash washed over Kotomi's face and she wondered why it felt so wonderful to be called _Onee-chan_ by the young Tomoya. But that was something she could ponder later. For now, Kotomi smiled and stepped out of the shadows. Even though she had known Tomoya when he was this age, and later in their lives – when she got to know him as a loving husband, she was still worried about meeting the little boy that was her dear childhood friend. But his response had given her hope and, more importantly, courage. She needed that courage now, as well as a great deal of self control.

 _I must not run up to him and hug him. No matter how happy I am to see him, he has no knowledge of me as an adult and would perceive me as a stranger. An unfamiliar adult suddenly rushing to him and hugging him would likely scare him and I must not scare Tomoya-kun. Tomoya-kun… even now I can see the man that he will grow into – in his features. There is no mistake, this is definitely my beloved…_ “Tomoya-kun.”

“Yes?” Tomoya’s young mind was scared of this adult that had surprised him at first. But her likeness to the Kotomi he knew made her seem familiar enough that the fear-of-stranger had quickly passed. Now he was becoming a little concerned for her health, “Onee-chan, are you okay?”

“Why would you think there is something wrong with me?” Kotomi’s face took on a puzzled expression that the young Tomoya had never seen before. It was the expression she often wore when she was trying to figure out how Tomoya or Kyou had instantly perceived something about another person without asking any questions or taking any measurable data.

“I dunno. I guess it’s your face. You look like you’ve been playing really hard for too long.” Tomoya replied.

“Hah yes, you have always been perceptive haven’t you?” Kotomi smiled as her countenance changed from confusion to pride. She stopped approaching the boy when she saw him take a step back.

“Always? Onee-chan, I don’t remember you.” Tomoya felt more comfortable with the woman now, at least… more than he did when she had first called out to him. However, there was still the wariness of a child meeting a stranger without a familiar adult around. He knew he was a fast runner and he decided to stay far enough away from her that she couldn’t suddenly jump out at him… not that she looked like she was capable of that sort of thing anyway. Still, his father had cautioned him to be careful on his way to and from school every day.

“I do look a little familiar to you though, don’t I?” Kotomi asked.

“Yeah… you look like Kotomi-chan. Are you her sister?” Tomoya asked.

“I am very closely related to Kotomi-chan. I suppose you could call us sisters.” Kotomi smiled. His ability to relate her to the child-Kotomi thrilled her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

“I never saw you before.” the young Tomoya aired out the last of his doubt.

“I was in a place far away from here. I am only visiting and will return to where I live… eventually… probably.” Kotomi’s eyes tinted with sadness as she finished the sentence. The fact that no-one had been sent to retrieve her suggested something catastrophic may have happened with the link back to her world. But she wouldn’t trouble a child with her worries.

“Oh.” Tomoya thought the answer was reasonable and visibly relaxed in front of the woman now. Curiosity remained even if the fear was gone and he had to ask, “So… what did you want with me?”

“I would like to talk with you for a little while, if that is okay.” Kotomi asked as nicely and innocently as she could. But she was dealing with a grade school aged boy that was unfamiliar with her, and it had been a long time since she had done that.

“I don’t wanna.” Tomoya said as he turned and started walking toward his house. It wasn’t that he was still trying to decide whether or not it was okay to do more than talk to this stranger in the street. He had already determined that she was safe… but boring. With the pretty dress she was wearing, there was no way that she would be willing to play – and that was what this time of the day was for. School was out and his father wasn’t home yet. So the idea of some Onee-chan taking up all his play time with _talk_ was not very appealing.

“Please, Tomoya-kun? I bought some snacks.” Kotomi said while holding out the plastic bag from the convenience store.

 _Snacks?_ Tomoya turned around expecting to see the woman holding out a meager stick of gum, but she had a bag that was bulging with various purchases. _Snacks_ _!_ His jaw dropped open and eyes opened wide at the veritable treasure she held in her hands. His father brought him the occasional snack when he came home, but never a hoard like this.

“We could talk at the park a street over, or at your house.” Kotomi suggested.

“Why not at the Ichinose house? We could share them with your sister.” Tomoya suggested. With so many treats, he didn’t mind sharing them with another person. Indeed, to him it seemed there were enough for a whole classroom of kids.

“We can go there later, but I need to talk to you privately first.” Kotomi worried that this may sound too sneaky to the young boy and put him on his guard, but that didn’t seem to be a problem.

“Okay… let’s go to the park!” the young Tomoya cheered. _Snacks and going to the park! This day is perfect!_

 

A big tree shaded a park bench where Kotomi and Tomoya sat with the bag of snacks between them. The shade was nice, but the early May weather wasn’t as warm as Kotomi would have liked, so she would rather have been in the sun. Unfortunately, this was the first bench they came to and the young Tomoya had been eager to find out what kind of treats were in the bag Kotomi was carrying. Even now, Tomoya was already busily opening up a fruit wrap while Kotomi was mentally stumbling over how she should start the conversation.

_He is not the Tomoya-kun that I am most familiar with. I must be careful with what I say to him. What can I say to this young boy that will not frighten him? How should I even start this conversation? What are some of the tricks Tomoya-kun or Kyou-chan would use in a situation like this?_

“Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?” Kotomi used one of Kyou’s throw-away questions in hopes she would be able to parry it into a conversation starter.

“Yeah.” Tomoya swallowed a bite of the chewy berry flavored fruit and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Oh! I’m so sorry that I haven’t properly introduced myself.” Taking a deep breath to clear away the flustered feeling, Kotomi fell back on what she had been taught long ago, “Hello, how do you do? I’m Okazaki Kotomi. I love to read. I would be happy if we could be friends.”

“Okazaki?” Tomoya stopped chewing the fruit snack and regarded her curiously.

“Oh!” it then occurred to Kotomi that she should have come up with a different name. Surely he would distrust her now…

“Wow, you have the same family name as me! I’ve never met anyone with the same name as me before.” the young Tomoya chirped as he stuffed another bite into his mouth.

“Oh yes, that’s right. You’ve never met any of your family… other than your father.” Kotomi winced when she realized she had just made another mistake. _I’m really not that good at keeping secrets or deceiving people. If only Tomoya_ _-_ _kun_ _were here…_

“I met my grandmother once… I think. But dad doesn’t talk about family stuff much.” Tomoya said before taking another bite of the fruit treat. It was good and he was about to take the last bite when he remembered something the lady said. It made him curious so he asked, “How did you know about my family?”

“Ah, well… I um.” Kotomi was lost. She hadn’t imagined that talking to a child would fluster her this much. But the young Tomoya was finding every one of her gaffes and testing her on them. She needed to find a way to explain what she had told him so far, but it had to be something he would believe. Unfortunately, her powerful mind was drawing a blank at this crucial moment.

“Since your family name is Okazaki, does that mean you know my family?” Tomoya asked.

“Yes!” Kotomi seized the unexpected opportunity, “I know your grandmother and your cousin.” _Your cousin is a good friend of mine._ She almost said – then remembered that the cousin in this world had never met her and would be even younger than the Tomoya-child in front of her.

“I have a cousin?” this seemed to greatly interest Tomoya.

“Yes. Her name is Yuki and she is a few years younger than you are.” Kotomi told him.

“Oh, a girl.” Tomoya sounded disappointed.

“You don’t like girls?” Kotomi was surprised. She didn’t remember the Tomoya from her youth or her adult years having a problem with girls.

“Some of them are okay… I guess. But a lot of them are getting to be kinda… annoying.” Tomoya said while he opened up the next treat.

“Annoying?” Kotomi prompted.

“Yeah. They used to play just like everyone else, but now some of them are getting kinda… weird.”

Kotomi took this information in and considered it. At his age, some of the girls in his class would have already started puberty. That would cause several changes in a girl. Many of them would grow faster and be taller than the boys their same age, some would start developing their secondary sexual characteristics. These changes could be uncomfortable and disconcerting to a young girl, leading to other changes, including her personality. But the physical changes weren’t the only thing that girls at this age would have to deal with. There would also be influences from family and society to act more ‘like a girl’ should act. So, she reasoned that Tomoya was probably reacting to how a kid who had been a ‘friend’ until now – changed and didn’t like the things they used to like. _Of course, he might see that as a betrayal. Then, how does he feel about my younger self? I was already acting “like a girl” the first time I met him? Does he really hate the younger me?_

“Is… is Kotomi-chan annoying or weird?” Kotomi asked carefully.

“Kotomi-chan?” Tomoya had a thoughtful look for a moment then decided, “No, she’s fun. Even if she’s afraid to play too much, she knows all kinds of weird things and that’s fun too.”

 _Afraid to play… weird…_ those words kept echoing in Kotomi’s mind even though he had said that she was fun too. She could remember once or twice when her mother had encouraged her to go play outside… maybe take a walk or go to the park, and she had declined – saying that she was more comfortable staying at home. And then, after the death of her parents she had done nothing but _stay at home_ for many years. _I must not let my younger self fall into that trap!_

“So, what did you want to talk about, Onee-chan?” Tomoya innocently asked as he opened up another one of the many treats. Truly, a sizable ring of debris had begun to take shape around him on the park table.

“Kotomi-chan’s birthday party. You are still planning to come, aren’t you?” Kotomi asked.

“Oh… that. I don’t think I can.” Tomoya sounded despondent and even slowed down on eating the treats.

“Because your friends at school said it was weird to go to a girl’s birthday party?” Kotomi asked.

“How did you know that?” Tomoya looked up with amazement at the pretty, but strange onee-chan.

“I’ve heard a story like that before.” Kotomi answered honestly, then pressed on with her real goal, “Even if none of your friends attend, I want you to come anyway, and… I want you to bring your dad.”

“My dad?” Tomoya was beginning to wonder if this woman knew what a kids birthday party was supposed to be like.

“Yes. I want to visit with him while you play with Kotomi-chan.” Kotomi proposed.

“I don’t know. My dad is always working or he’s real tired.” Tomoya didn’t really want to bring his dad along anyway since he might fall asleep on their couch and start snoring, like he did at home. “I don’t think he would have time for…”

“There will be lots of food and cake and other treats too.” Kotomi tempted the little boy.

“Well… I could come. But, I don’t think my dad can.” The promise of food and treats had swayed the child, but Tomoya couldn’t imagine his father agreeing to come to a kid’s birthday party, even if he begged as hard as he could.

“Can you give him this invitation from me? Maybe he will feel better about coming to the party if he is invited by another adult. Will you do this for me?” Kotomi held out a sealed envelope with Naoyuki’s name prominently written on its face.

“Yeah… I can do that.” Tomoya promised. He took the letter and put it into his Randoseru. Then, eyeing all the treats that still remained, he asked, “Can we go see Kotomi-chan now?”

 

Kotomi watched with her mother and father from the living room as the younger Kotomi and Tomoya played in the back yard. A nostalgic smile played across her lips as she watched the children playing. She had a cup of coffee in her hands and was holding it close to enjoy the aroma while she lost herself in watching her younger self being so active and free.

“So, you drink coffee now?” her mother asked.

“Yes.” Kotomi answered simply.

“I guess you're doing all kinds of adult things.” her mother tried again to start up a conversation.

“Yes.” Kotomi answered simply again.

Her mother sighed at her failure to be able to enjoin this elder Kotomi in something more than simple monosyllable responses. Kotomi picked up on the sigh and started analyzing. She went through the steps that Kyou had taught her.

'The person may be tired. Look for signs of this around the eyes.' _No, Okāsan seems well rested._

'The person may be sad. Check for facial features that would indicate sadness.' _No, Okāsan is not frowning nor do her eyes indicate that she is distraught._

'The person may be frustrated. Check to see if the hands are shaking or balled into fists, and if the jaw is set.' _Yes… Okāsan's hands are closed up if not into fists and it does seem that her jaw and lips convey frustration._

'Look for the sign of the frustration. Remember that there is always a chance that it is you. If you don't see any other sign of the frustration, it is probably you.' Kotomi had thought that Kyou was teasing her when she had told her that, but it had been correct too many times for it to have been a prank. Even now, she saw no other sign of frustration for her mother, so she decided to ask, “Okāsan, are you upset with me?”

“No, I'm not upset with you.” her mother smiled reassuringly, but also seemed to be a bit startled at the question.

“But I am causing you some frustration, aren't I?” Kotomi pressed.

“No… well… I was trying to start up a conversation with you, but…” her mother wrung her hands as she tried to find a way to explain her frustration without hurting Kotomi's feelings.

“It's okay. I am aware that I have poor social skills. Tomoya-kun and Kyou-chan have been helping me since high school with trying to overcome that disadvantage.” Kotomi told them.

“But why? You are a little shy now but you seem to be overcoming that.” her mother was referring to the Kotomi-child that was actively playing in the back yard.

“After the two of you were killed in the airplane crash, I had a breakdown. I stopped going to school and studied on my own at home.” Kotomi said in a monotone.

“Oh my…” her mother covered her mouth and then her eyes as the tears started to form.

“What about Tomoya-kun?” her father asked.

“A few days after my birthday, I told him to leave me alone and I didn't see him again… until my last year of high school.” Kotomi's voice saddened a bit as she remembered the long lonely years of her childhood.

“You were all alone… for all those years?” her father asked.

“Not completely alone. The housekeeper continued to come over a few times a week. Kobayashi-hakase sent people over to check on my health and education from time to time.” Kotomi recalled the visits from the strangers that all seemed so long ago.

“Did you interact with them?” her father asked hopefully. He wanted to hear that she had at least _some_ human interaction, but Kotomi didn't get that queue.

“Not really. They were all strangers to me. I remember wishing they would all just stop bothering me.” Kotomi told them.

“For a child to grow up like that…” her father gazed out the window at his daughter who was now laughing while Tomoya chased her around the back yard with a butterfly net. To think that his darling little girl might have gone through the next ten years of her life without any meaningful human interaction… without love…

“I think I'm going to be sick.” Kotomi's mother said as she leaned into her husband's shoulder.

“Okāsan, are you unwell?” Kotomi innocently asked her mother. She meant well, but her innocence and clear lack of understanding why her mother would be upset had the opposite effect of helping her mother's condition.

 

**Monday late evening, May 10, 1993 – The Park near the Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Akio stomped through the path that started near the bakery that was his family's home, and led to the baseball field in the neighborhood park. His day had been full of frustrations… again. He dearly loved his wife, but she was a complete disaster when it came to baking – and they had purchased the bakery because she was sure it was something she could do. Now it was all on him.

He had to learn how to bake since her handiwork was unfit for human consumption.

He had to learn how to run a small business since she was spending all her time… trying to make the perfect pastry.

He had to… worry about his daughter. No, that wasn't fair. He and his wife were both worried about their daughter. If Nagisa had another one of those _episodes_ … If something happened to her. If she…

“Akio-san?” a voice in the evening's darkness called his name.

He looked up to see a woman dressed for an evening stroll and carrying some kind of metal case. She didn't look familiar so he took a step closer and asked, “Yes. Do I know you?”

“Please don't come any closer.” Kotomi took a step back but didn't seem to be panicked.

“I'm not dangerous.” Akio said with the friendliest voice he could muster.

“I know. But you are still smoking those awful smelling cigarettes. I'm sorry, but it really is quite foul.” Kotomi said as she put a hand over her mouth. The Akio from her world had quit smoking some time ago and she was now reminded just how much she appreciated that.

_...still smoking… ? Did I know her in college?_

“Are you one of those people that's against all smokers?” Akio accused while his mind raced to remember where he knew her from.

“No, I am not against you. I just don't like the smell.” Kotomi told him, “Akio-san, you are a wonderful person. As is your wife. And you are raising a very lovely daughter.”

“That's it!” Akio demanded, “I thought you might be someone from my college days, but how do you know about my family? Who are you?”

“Akio-san, please do not be angry!” Kotomi's startled pleading was just too innocent and honest to be anything but real.

“Hmm...” Akio studied the cringing woman for a moment and decided it couldn't be an act. And, with his background, he should know. “All right, I won't be angry. But, I still want you to tell me why you know so much about my family.”

“I went to high school with your daughter. I was with her when she had one of her mysterious illnesses. She came to my wedding, and I recently attended a play that she performed in.” Kotomi answered.

“Uh huh.” Akio thought about turning around and leaving this weirdo alone in the park. But her mention of a mysterious illness had got his attention. He at least wanted to hear what she said about that. “You do realize that my daughter is in grade school now. She is _many_ years away from graduating from high school.”

“She is now, but I am from a parallel world that is in your future.” Kotomi explained.

“Aren't you a little old to be living in a fantasy world?” Akio smirked.

“I am not a Chuunibyou.” Kotomi replied, “I am telling you the truth.”

“You're not a what?” Akio's eyebrow raised at the unfamiliar word.

“Oh, I guess that word has not been coined in your world yet.” Kotomi tried to remember what she knew of the early 1990's, but she had only been a child then and… it had become a very traumatic time for her.

“Never-mind, I'll leave you to your delusions.” Akio decided to leave this strange woman and turned back toward home.

“But...” Kotomi started to call out to him but he wasn't slowing down.

“Save it. I have to be up early to start all the baking, so I need to head home anyway.” Akio said as he flicked the stub of the spent cigarette away. He decided that meeting this strange woman wasn't a total loss. At least it took his mind off the frustrations he was having at home.

As he walked back into his home with his renewed attitude, he tried to forget about the weirdo in the park. But the comment about Nagisa’s mysterious illness continued to gnaw at him until he saw Sanae carrying an arm full of clean laundry. Seeing her doing this domestic chore brought a smile to his lips, her loveliness made him forget about all the frustrations of the day. Looking half dazed, he continued to watch her as she stopped and turned to regard him with her beautiful brown eyes. He felt as if his whole body was floating a little bit while he wondered what warm words of welcome she had for him.

“Oh my... you smell like one of those awful cigarettes.” Sanae said with a tolerant smile, “I just did the laundry, so take a bath before you touch anything.”

And… his frustrations were back.

 

Kotomi had watched Akio leave the baseball field. She blinked once and considered what to do, but the decision didn’t take long. Running after him had been an option, but she was in the park for a reason other than communicating... with him. She was hoping to be in the park at the right time to receive a transmission from her home universe. Having dropped off the sensor ball in the middle of center field, she was now comfortably sitting in the visiting team’s dugout with her laptop. Kotomi didn’t really understand enough about baseball to know that this dugout was for the visiting team, but it was labeled on the tin roof that was there to provide a little shelter for the players. And, once she saw the label, she decided that she was most definitely the _visiting team_.

The tough-book was connected to the sensor ball over a wireless link, and she had several programs analyzing anything the many sensors received. Kotomi hoped that she would be able to re-establish the link with her home universe tonight. Even though she really wanted to spend more time with her parents, the idea of being cut off from her home was worrying her. But having them find her was worrying too. Kotomi knew she had acted irresponsibly and impulsively when she ran from the survey team’s pergola. However, she was certain that everyone would forgive her after hearing her explanation. And… after meeting her parents. They had turned out to be every bit as wonderful as they had been in her memories. Indeed, she looked forward to introducing her grown up Tomoya-kun to her parents. It would be a little after the fact, but she wanted them to meet the wonderful man that had become her husband.

_Ping!_

An alarm sound from her laptop roused her out of her happy daydream. Kotomi looked down at the glowing screen, expecting to see the marker that would indicate that the much anticipated transmission had been detected. But it was just the JJY signal serving up the time index again.

“Hmm, I may have to wait longer than I thought.” Kotomi said aloud as she took the top off of her thermos full of hot tea. Wishing she could surf the internet while she waited, she thumbed the WAN connection setting. But she didn’t bother to turn it on. There would be no use in it, and it would just consume her battery as it futily searched for a signal to connect to. After all, it was still 1993 in this world and the technologies that the little tough-book could connect to, had not even been invented yet. Indeed, this was a world without even a useful web browser. At least, nothing useful by the standards that Kotomi was familiar with. And, even if there was a browser she could use, by this date there were fewer than five hundred web sites in the whole world. Most of the ones she was familiar with hadn’t been created yet either.

 _If only I could send an email…_ _back home_ _._ Kotomi wished she could do something to let her friends and family know that she was okay. _Friends and family… what a wonderful thought._ For someone who had spent years of her life by herself, having friends was an amazing accomplishment. And, for someone who had lost her family…

“Mama, where did you go?” Michiko asked in a pleading voice. Kotomi’s little girl was wiping the tears away from her blue eyes with her sleeve. _Blue eye’s like her father’s and purple hair like mine._ Kotomi reached out to the disconsolate child to let her know that she would be home soon, but other voices demanded answers too.

“Why did you run away?” her oldest son Shuichi asked with folded arms. Unlike his little sister, he was angry with his missing mother.

“You did something bad, didn’t you?” the younger of the twins, Shuji was also upset.

“No, I… um...” Kotomi couldn’t deny that what she had done was bad. Not to the children. She, along with Tomoya and Kyou, had always impressed upon the children - that running off somewhere without permission was bad. And running off without letting someone know where you went was even worse. And now she was being called out for just that offense by her six year old sons.

“Now boys, don’t be so hard on your mother. I’m sure she has a good reason for… what she did.” Tomoya pulled the boys close to him while Kyou-chan picked up little Michiko in her arms. “We just have to wait until she gets home and find out why, okay?”

“Thank you Tomoya-kun.” Kotomi said while she fought back her own tears.

“You are coming home, aren’t you Kotomi?” Tomoya asked.

“Of course I am.” Kotomi replied but it didn’t seem that Tomoya heard her.

“Kotomi-chan, are you coming home?” the voice asked her again. “It’s pretty late. How long do you plan to stay out here?”

“What?” Kotomi blinked several times and realized that the voice that she heard was her father’s. Tomoya and her children weren’t here after all. _Well of course they wouldn’t be._ Her rational mind reprimanded her for such foolish whimsy. She was still sitting in the baseball field’s dugout and by the dew that had accumulated on her clothes, it was obvious that she had been out here for a while. The laptop confirmed that several hours had passed, but it also showed that there was nothing on the activity log except more JJY time indexes.

“You should come back to the house. It will get a little colder tonight and there may be some rain.” her father told her as he started packing her things away. “I brought the car.”

“Oh, thank you Otōsan.” Kotomi wondered why she hadn’t been notified about the possibility of rain… and had to remind herself of just how primitive the conditions of her youth were. Once again, it hit her that neither her laptop, nor her smartphone would be sending her warnings or reminders about weather in this place. But what bothered her more was the lack of a single entry on her monitor log. _Why are they not trying to reach me? Logically, there can only be two possibilities: they are unable to transmit to me, or they are unwilling to transmit to me. I cannot believe that they would be unwilling to call out to me. So, under what circumstances would they be unable to reach out?_

 

**Wednesday morning, May 12, 1993 – The Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Akio was hurrying to get ready for the morning rush. Fortunately, Nagisa hadn’t slept well and needed a lot of her mother’s attention this morning. That was fortunate because it kept Sanae busy and out of the bakery while he was finishing his preparations. He didn’t mind so much when she tried one of her baking inventions in the afternoon when there wasn’t much business. But every once in a while, she got it in her mind that her ‘unique’ concoctions would sell better if she had them ready for the morning rush.

Those were Akio’s _very_ bad days. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also didn’t want to end up in a lawsuit for serving something that could end up on the ‘crimes against humanity’ list either.

“Akio,” his wife called out as she and Nagisa emerged from the entry that led into their home, “Nagisa is feeling a little listless today, so I’m going to walk her to school. Will you be all right without me for a bit?”

“I’ll” _be great!_ He almost said, but his sense caught him at the last minute and he changed it to, “I’ll make do until you can get back.” But, it was hard not to smile or reveal his feeling of relief. Some customers came in before Sanae and Nagisa made it out of the store. He was ringing one of them up and noticed that his wife seemed to be chatting with someone who had just arrived as well. _Everybody loves Sanae. She’s always been like that. I guess that’s why some people will buy her crazy pastries even if all they do is throw them away._

_Jingle ding!_

“Welcome to Furukawa Bakery!” Akio called out automatically. The woman that came in had striking purple hair but he wouldn’t have recognized her if it hadn’t been for that metal box she was carrying. He was about to say, _Oh, it’s you from the other night in the park._ But there were other customers in the store… customers that lived in his neighborhood. And making a comment like that could lead to weird rumors and trouble.

“Good morning Akio-san. It is a pleasure to see you again.” Kotomi said brightly. It was considered ‘brightly’ to anyone that knew her but to those that didn’t, her voice was soft and sensual.

Akio noticed that a couple of the customers looked up to see who the sensual voice was connected to and he panicked. “What… what brings you here?”

“You. I wanted to see you again after the other night.” Kotomi told him as she considered some pastries on display.

“What?” Akio could see that now everyone was looking at him. Some with accusing glances, others with congratulatory winks.

“You left too soon. I wasn’t finished with our conversation.” Kotomi stopped speaking and put a hand on her belly. There was a feeling there that she recognized. She had felt it twice before in her life. And now… the little flutter coming from deep inside, brought a feeling of joy to her.

The mood changed in the room when several of the customers recognized the purple haired woman’s posture, the way she placed her hand on her belly, and the glow on her face. Those that had been accusing were becoming angry and those that had been cheering him were shocked.

“I… I’m afraid I don’t know who you are. This must be some kind of misunderstanding.” Akio said stiffly.

“Akio-san, how can you say that? We met the other night in the park and I asked you not to come close because of the smell of your cigarettes.” Kotomi innocently tried to help him jog his memory.

“It’s true. He does reek of those nasty things.” one of the customers said to another.

“Now look… I’m very busy here… so…” Akio stammered. This wasn’t a problem he could solve with his bat and he felt like a fish floundering about on the sand.

“Oh, I understand. I’ll wait for you in the living room.” Kotomi said as she stepped up into the house.

“You can’t...” Akio gasped as the strange woman just walked through the dividing curtains into his home.

“Don’t worry, I know the way.” Kotomi called back.

“You… know the way?” Akio heard the words in disbelief. “How?”

“I’ve been here before.” Kotomi added, “I’ll make some tea.”

“I really don’t know who she is!” Akio said desperately to the people that remained in his store.

“Despicable!” an older woman said before she stalked out of the bakery. The others came up to the register and tersely paid for their purchases but none of them would meet his eyes.

 

An hour passed before Sanae got back from taking Nagisa to her elementary school. She had stopped to talk to one of the teachers along the way and was in a good mood when she walked back into the bakery to find her husband angrily stewing behind the cash register.

“Akio? What’s wrong?” Sanae asked as she approached the counter.

“Do you know that… purple haired woman that came in when you were leaving?” he growled.

“No. Although she did seem to know Nagisa. I thought she might be the mother of one of the other children at her school. Why?” Sanae took her husband’s hand and held it softly to try and calm him down.

“She came in here, said some very misleading things, and then went into the house.” Akio grumbled.

“You let her in the house?” Sanae was surprised that he would do that.

“I didn’t _let_ her in! She just walked in on her own. She said she knew the way… like she’s been here before.” Akio now looked at Sanae suspiciously.

“I never let her in.” Sanae thought about it and wondered if she might have lived in this place before she and Akio had bought it. “Let’s go in. I’ll make you some green tea and you you can sip that until you calm down. Then we’ll have a talk with this… guest.”

“Will you put honey in it?” Akio asked as he went to the store front to lock the door and flick the sign to ‘Closed’ for a while.

“Of course. I know how you like it.” Sanae smiled.

 

Sanae’s smile faded when they walked into their living room and found that Kotomi had already made a pot of tea and, from the smell, it had honey in it. Whoever this woman was, she did seem to know something about them. Or… was it just chance? “I don’t care for honey in my tea.” Sanae said.

“Do not worry, the honey is only in Akio-san’s tea.” Kotomi said proudly as if she had done something right. If she had been any good at reading their expressions, she would have rethought that assumption.

“Can I ask who you are and why you are here?” Sanae was starting to be as annoyed with this uninvited guest as her husband was.

“Oh yes. Please forgive me for not introducing myself. I forgot that you have not yet met me.” Kotomi stood and recited the greeting that she was the most comfortable with, “Hello, how do you do? I’m Okazaki Kotomi. I love to read. I would be happy if we could be friends. But… as to why I am here, I guess it is to tell you some good news about Nagisa-chan.”

“What…” Sanae was about to ask what this stranger had to do with her daughter, but it was her husband that stopped her.

“You said something before about her mysterious illness. What was all of that about?” Akio demanded.

Kotomi blinked as she looked back and forth between them. She could see now that they weren’t as happy to see her as she had thought. In fact… “You are angry, aren’t you? I have upset you, haven’t I?”

Sanae was stunned by how quickly the cheerful if annoying woman was crushed. She now looked uncertain and seemed on the edge of tears. Sanae’s ire couldn’t last when she saw someone looking so pitiful and she felt a change of heart for the awkward girl.

“I’m not angry. But it is a bit much for a stranger to come into my house and start talking about my daughter. I just… need you to explain that to me so that I can understand.”

“Oh, all right. But, for you to fully understand what I am going to tell you, I need to show you some pictures. I have recently learned that the pictures really help with belief and understanding.”

Akio was not as pacified as his wife was, but he kept quiet while the strange girl opened up the metal box to reveal… a small computer. He had seen advertisements for laptop computers but he had never seen one in person. The last computer he used was one of the old green-screens at the college where he and Sanae met. That was about a decade ago now and it looked like computers had come a long way since then.

Sanae, on the other hand, was quite startled. She had become friends with a few of the teachers at Nagisa’s school and they had recently shown her their pride and joy. Their school library now had a new computer with an XGA monitor. They had showed her the demo with a lot of colorful pictures. It was true that the pictures on the screen had far fewer of the ‘jaggies’ that the old monitor did, and the capability to show 256 colors meant that the pictures looked much more lifelike than before. But it was nothing compared to what she was seeing on this young woman’s laptop. The first picture that came up was of the young woman, a man and another woman, and three children. And it was stunning. There were no ‘jaggies’ at all and the colors… it may as well have been a photograph.

“Not this one. Just a moment.” Kotomi said aloud as she spun the display around and locked it to the case to put it in tablet mode. Her finger’s swiped across the screen to minimize the current picture, then she brought up a folder labeled, “Furakawa family and Ryou”.

“Why...” Akio was about to demand why this woman had a folder of his family on her computer when a picture opened up that took his breath away.

“Ah!” Sanae gasped too. She and her husband were captivated with a picture of themselves along with a grown up version of their daughter beside an attractive young lady with long lavender hair and… wearing a stethoscope. Just as they were coming to grips with this picture having an adult version of their little girl in it, the people in the picture suddenly waved and said “Good morning!” to them.

“AH!” Akio and Sanae cried out together.

“What is this? Some kind of magic?” Akio demanded, but he didn’t take his eyes away from the mesmerizing image of his family.

“It isn’t magic. You see, I am from a parallel world that is roughly seventeen and a half years in your future. What you are seeing here is the Furukawa family from my world, in the year 2010.” Kotomi explained.

“2010?” Akio gasped. He looked at the picture a bit more closely and was happy that he didn’t seem to have aged much.

“Nagisa looks so healthy!” Sanae said as she reached out to touch the screen as if she could touch the grown daughter in the picture. As soon as her finger touched the screen, the family once again raised their hands to wave and said, “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Nagisa-chan.” Sanae said to the monitor.

“She is quite healthy now. If our histories are as close as I think they are, Nagisa-chan had a mysterious illness as an infant, then again at around age five?” Kotomi stated more than asked.

“That’s right, but how did you…” Akio didn’t finish his question. His eyes traveled down to the picture on the screen and he knew what the answer would be already. “You really do know Nagisa.”

“In my world, I know all of you. In fact, we are very good friends. I would love to tell you all about that later, but right now I want to assure you about Nagisa’s health.”

Both of them raised their eyes from the picture on the screen to the young woman then. With those words, she had their complete attention.

“Nagisa did not have another bout with her mysterious illness until her senior year of high school. It was not terribly severe, but it was enough to keep her out of school enough that she had to repeat the year. If my theory is correct, your Nagisa will not be having any more of these illnesses.”

“Poor Nagisa.” Sanae started to weep from the idea of her sweet child being sick for much of a year.

“Don’t be too sad. It was in her repeated year that she made many friends… including me.” Kotomi assured them. This was all she was prepared to tell them at the moment. She determined that it was enough to get their trust. And, as had already been established by the previous survey team expeditions, having the help of the Furukawa’s was always a good thing.

“Do you have any other pictures of her?” Sanae asked. She didn’t expect to see many. Having seen the demo at the school, she was aware of how much space a picture of that quality would take up on the hard disk.

“Yes. Just swipe your finger across the display and it will go to the next picture.” Kotomi explained.

For several minutes, Akio and Sanae were captivated as they swiped past picture after picture on the strange laptop… tablet… thing. They were both thrilled with how healthy and happy their daughter was. In all the pictures, and there were a _lot_ more than Sanae had anticipated, Nagisa was surrounded by friends and in good spirits. They stopped at a picture of Nagisa in her graduation robes with her college diploma.

“Did she really…” Sanae looked up to see that Kotomi wasn’t there.

Akio looked up and was startled too. He hadn’t realized that he had been so engrossed in the pictures. He glanced about and saw that she was in the hall outside the bathroom. _Well, she did say she knew her way around…_ Akio was thinking, when he realized she wasn’t moving. She was standing outside the bathroom just staring in. He nudged his wife and they were soon walking down the hallway to see what it was that had the young purple haired woman’s attention. But, it was just the bathroom. The overly large tub was impressive, but not terribly so.

“This is where it all started. This is where I began to understand the fundamental dynamics that could unbind and connect the parallel universes.” Kotomi said quietly as she remembered that fateful and frightening day.

“In our bathroom? What started?” Akio wanted to know.

“Nagisa-chan and Okazaki-kun almost died here. And in a hospital nearby, Fuko-chan almost died. All of them were exhibiting an extreme variation of your daughter’s _mysterious illness_ symptoms.” Kotomi turned to them and bowed, “On that day, you trusted Ryou-chan and me to bring them back… to save them. For that, I will be eternally grateful to you.”

“If what you’re saying is true, it was you that saved our daughter. I don’t know who those other two people are, but…” Akio was confused by Kotomi’s formal thanks.

“We should be grateful to you!” Sanae insisted.

“Okazaki-kun is the man in the first picture you saw. Also in the picture were three young ones and me. He became my husband and the little ones are our children.” Kotomi said with a lot of happiness, and a little pride. Then, she gestured toward the big bath area and told them, “If it hadn’t been for you and this place, there is a good chance that both Tomoya-kun and Nagisa-chan would have perished and I would have lost much of the happiness I have had in my life.”

The Furukawas turned to look into the old but big bathroom. They often wondered why it was so large. Even the real-estate person that showed them didn’t know for certain. She suspected that it was set up for someone with mobility issues. Over the years, Sanae had often thought about having it remodeled to take back some of the space that just seemed to be wasted there. But bathroom remodels are very expensive and there were always more important things that needed the money. But now… she saw the over-large bathroom as a necessity. Even if this Kotomi-from-another-universe was right and their Nagisa wouldn’t be having any more of her mysterious illnesses, there was always the chance…

“Okazaki-san...” Sanae started.

“Please, call me Kotomi-chan.” Kotomi offered.

“Kotomi-chan… so… we are friends in your universe?” Sanae was pretty sure she knew the answer, but it was all so new and puzzling for her that she wanted to clarify their relationship.

“Yes. I had lost both of my parents at a young age and I looked up to you as a mother figure. I learned a lot from you in that respect, and I use your examples to try and be a good mother for my own children.” Kotomi stated in a matter-of-fact way. She was unaware of the impact of such a statement and was confused when she saw tears in Sanae’s eyes. “I’m sorry if I said something distressing?”

“No, no… it wasn’t distressing at all.” Sanae paused to wipe the moisture from her eyes before she took Kotomi’s hands and told her, “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

“You lost your parents at a young age… does that mean you came here to see them again?” Akio’s past with science-fiction and fantasy drama’s helped him to grasp the framework of what Kotomi had told them, if not the math and physics at the core of her experiments.

“Yes.” Kotomi was impressed with how fast Akio had caught on.

“It’s a shame you can’t save them.” Akio said compassionately, but mistakenly.

“Ah, you are thinking of the _time travelers paradox_ , but it does not come into play here. In fact, I have already taken steps to insure that the same fate does not befall them.” Kotomi replied.

“But, won’t that mess up the future that you come from?” Akio understood Kotomi’s paradox reference, but he didn’t see why it didn’t apply here.

“No. You see, I am not a time traveler in the paradoxical example. For me to affect my own future, I would have to have come back through time in my own universe. But I am not from this universe. I am from a parallel universe that is very, very similar. So, I can change as much as I want and have no fear of repercussions on my own future.” Kotomi explained.

“I don’t know… it sounds like you can have anything without having to pay a price. It sounds a little too good to be true.” Akio worried.

“You are forgetting about something.” Kotomi held up a finger as if addressing a confused student, “Nothing that I do here will affect my universe. That means that no matter how hard I try, I can’t get my own parents back. So, as far as any changes that I make here, you might say… the price has already been paid.”

“Uh yeah… sorry. I didn’t think about it that way.” Akio shuffled his feet and was beginning to understand just how intelligent this woman was.

“It’s okay. Higher dimensional physics is a difficult subject to grasp.” Kotomi said.

“Are we going to see you again?” Sanae asked. There were a lot of other things that she wanted to talk about with this woman that had known her grown up daughter, but the way Kotomi was now holding her purse and the change in stance told her that their purple haired guest was about to leave.

“Ordinarily, I would say ‘no’. Our expeditions are usually only for only twenty hours. But, I was cut off from my universe as I arrived, so… I suppose it is possible.” Kotomi told them.

“You were cut off?” Akio asked.

“Are you going to be okay? Do you have a place to stay?” Sanae offered.

“It’s fine. I am staying with my parents and my younger self at their house.” A thought occurred to Kotomi as she mentioned her parent’s home and she asked, “Do you or Nagisa have plans for tomorrow afternoon?”

 

**Thursday morning, May 13, 1993 – The Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Mizue was in the kitchen with the grown-up version of her little girl. It was hard to imagine that this tall and buxom woman was her little Kotomi, but she did have the same face, eyes, and hair. And her semi-ethereal voice was perhaps a little deeper, but clearly the same person. They were both working on all the treats that would be at the birthday party. Mizue was impressed with her daughter’s cooking. It made her happy to see that she had developed that talent… until she thought of the reason why.

_She had to cook for herself… for most of her childhood._

Even though it was another Mizue in another universe that chose to leave for a conference rather than stay home with her little girl… she still felt the guilt of that abandonment that this grown Kotomi had suffered through. Gazing at her fists, she thought of the terrible impact that such a selfish decision had made on her innocent little girl. Looking up at Kotomi, she was about to apologize for the actions of her other self again, when she noticed something that made her blink.

Kotomi was paying attention to the pot that was starting to boil and slowly stirring it with one hand. But her other hand was absently patting her belly. And Mizue knew what that meant… probably. She had done the same thing a little over eight years ago.

“Kotomi-chan?” Mizue had learned the peculiar cadence of this elder daughter’s conversation process.

“Okāsan?” Kotomi replied.

“How far along are you?” Mizue asked with hopeful expectation.

“Thirteen weeks and three days.” Kotomi replied without taking her attention away from the pot.

“Kotomiiiii!” Mizue was exasperated by her daughter’s lack of reaction to something so momentous. “Aren’t you excited?”

“I am, but I am worried that I might come to term here, if the people in my world are unable to find me in time.”

“Is that so terrible? You know that Koutarou… your father and I would be willing to help you out with… anything.” Mizue gushed.

“Fascinating.” Kotomi said as she finally looked up from her pot, “I never knew that you were so excited about becoming an Obāsan.”

“Obāsan!” Mizue gasped at the shocking idea. Her young daughter was still in grade school so the idea of becoming a grandmother any time soon was a bit shocking. Then her shock gave way to giggles when she saw the amused and confused look on the elder daughter’s face. Mizue wasn’t a lot older than this adult-Kotomi and, to be honest, her daughter was the more accomplished Okāsan with three children already and a fourth on the way. Mizue had often thought about having another child… or two. But it wasn’t really fashionable to have big families any more, and… their work was always so close to a breakthrough that there never seemed to be a good time. Then again, her other-universe daughter seemed to have been able to make it work… She decided she had to ask, “So, is that the fad in the future? To have big families again?”

“No. In fact, Japan is having issues due to a population decline.” Kotomi replied.

“Oh? Then why…” Mizue didn’t finish the question. Her sharp mind had already put the pieces together – and the most logical reason for it was something that made her cringe with guilt.

_Kotomi wanted a big family as a reflexive response to having grown up all alone._

_She grew up alone because her parents were killed in an airplane crash._

_Her parents were killed in the crash because they were selfish… WE were selfish._

“I have to wonder about your thought process, Kotomi.” her father called out after he put down the papers he had been working on.

“Proceed.” Kotomi responded without turning from her cooking tasks. Her agile mind was able to keep her concentration on her recipes as well as field her father’s questions.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at Kotomi’s response. It didn’t sound so much like a daughter having a conversation with her father as much as a senior professor entertaining questions from a young graduate student that didn’t understand her theorems or conclusions.

“You invited the Furukawa’s and their daughter Nagisa to the birthday party?” Koutarou pressed.

“Yes.” Kotomi answered.

“Isn’t that risky?” Koutarou asked, “From your own research, it seems that Tomoya will be more likely to end up with this Furukawa girl than our Kotomi. Doesn’t that concern you?”

“No.” Kotomi smiled when she caught her father’s protective attitude in his question. However, she had already thought of the eventuality of this Tomoya-kun meeting many other potential mates. Eventually, she would return to her own universe and would no longer be able to guide the futures of this world’s Tomoya-kun and Kotomi-chan. But, she had already laid the groundwork for a contingency plan.

“Then, it doesn’t bother you that our Kotomi may lose her Tomoya?” Koutarou prodded. Kotomi’s father thought he was pointing out a flaw in the thinking of a younger person. But he was still not used to regarding this visiting Kotomi as much more than a grown up version of his little girl. He was unprepared for the depths of her thinking that years of study had created, and the incredible cunning that Kyou had helped to forge out of that remarkable mind.

“My first priority when I came here was to make sure my parents in this world didn’t die. My second objective was to make sure that my younger self doesn’t grow up alone. Granted: if I succeeded in the first objective, I was confident that the second objective would take care of itself.” Kotomi then smiled a bit as she made the final preparations for the trap, “After so many years alone, I know that I enjoy life much more when I am with friends. So, I don’t mind if Tomoya-kun meets Nagisa-chan or Kyou-chan, or any of the others. As long as she has friends, then I will be satisfied.”

“What would you have done if we didn’t heed your warning?” her father asked.

“Koutarou!” Mizue glared at him for suggesting such a thing.

“It’s okay Okāsan.” Kotomi waved off her mother’s ire, “He just want’s to know if I had a backup plan. As it happens, I had four. The last option was that I would take her back to my universe with me.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. Why was it the last option?” Koutarou asked.

“If I did that, she would never be able to meet the wonderful friends that I had in High School.” Kotomi replied.

“Hmm… I wonder if she will?” Mizue wondered aloud.

“Okāsan?” Kotomi prompted.

“Well, it is obvious that you chose to go to Hikarizaka High School because Okazaki Tomoya was there. And… we weren’t around to discuss it with you. But if we are alive and able to make the decisions about our daughter’s academics, do you really think we would allow someone with your potential to go to Hikarizaka?” Mizue reasoned.

“Hikarizaka is a nice school, but it is inadequate for someone who scored among the top ten, nationally. We would push for you to go to a school that could challenge your intellect – not a place where you could skip your classes and spend your time in the library.” Koutarou insisted.

“I had not anticipated this.” Kotomi admitted. However, this possibility still led her parents into the same trap, so there would still be the outcome she had planned for. Kotomi shrugged her shoulders and told them, “To some extent, I must leave this all in your hands, so I am sure you will come to the right decision.”

“What do you mean?” Mizue asked.

“I have told you about my past and present. I have shown you the pictures of the children that will come if Kotomi-chan marries Tomoya-kun. And, I have told you that they are bright, energetic, and healthy children.” Kotomi took her attention away from the simmering pot for a moment as she told them, “At some point, I will be returning to my universe and all of this will be in your hands. If you do not take the _appropriate_ measures to foster a relationship between your daughter and Tomoya-kun, I am sure you will be satisfied with whatever results may come.”

The two parents faced each other in shock as Kotomi returned her attention to the pot. They didn’t have to say anything aloud – they knew that each was thinking the same thing as the other. They had already viewed hundreds of photo’s of their grandchildren.

Baby pictures of the twins and of the little girl that looked so much like her mother.

Infants learning to crawl and walk.

_If you do not take the appropriate measures…_

Young boys learning to ride bicycles and a little girl in a Kimono at her first Shichi-Go-San.

Their homecoming in Japan.

… _to foster a relationship between your daughter and Tomoya-kun…_

Happily playing with other children in their somewhat familiar Ichinose house and back yard.

And, the most recent pictures of them in a long valley of beautiful fall leaves, a hot spring, and even some snow topped mountains.

… _I am sure you will be satisfied with whatever results may come._

The Ichinose parents had fallen into this trap because they had underestimated their grown daughter. But, they weren’t fools. They knew immediately that they had been played. In the many years since this woman had been as young as their daughter, she had learned how to be clever and cunning. Words like _sneaky_ and _unfair_ came to her father’s mind as well. But he banished them as the retort of a sore loser. He had to admit that he had been playing the game too and had completely failed to notice the trap that this elder Kotomi had laid for him.

Mizue knew it too and gave her husband a bemused look to see if he had any rebuttal, or if he was ready to acknowledge defeat.

“I believe that is… checkmate.” Koutarou admitted.

Kotomi smiled not so much from the little victory over her parents, but from the nostalgia of hearing that word. It reminded her of all the times she had heard Tomoya or Kyou say it as she defeated someone with her logic. But that memory brought sadness to her smile as she remembered the severed link back to her world and wondered… how much longer it would be before she could see them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> JJY: Japan’s radio broadcast system for time code. Similar to WWVB in the US.
> 
> Obāsan: grandmother
> 
> Otōsan: father
> 
> Randoseru: the traditional backpack for grade school children in Japan.
> 
> Shichi-Go-San: A rite-of-passage festival for three and seven year old girls and five year old boys.


	10. The Takarakuji Plan

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – Tomoya’s Elementary School**

* * *

Tomoya didn’t go to the same elementary school as either Kotomi or Nagisa. So, he wouldn’t see either of them until he arrived at the party. That is… if he went to the party. The lady that he had talked to in the park had been pretty convincing with all the treats, but he still didn’t know if he should really go to a birthday party for a girl. Even if… even if she was kinda fun to play with. But, he didn’t have anything better to do and… his dad had said he might be there if he got off work soon enough.

That had been rather surprising. His dad had been falling asleep on the couch when he brought it up and handed over the letter from the lady. He had said he couldn’t come at first. But he sat up as he read through the letter. Then he put the letter down, rubbed his tired eyes, and read the letter again. The look on his dad’s face was so funny that it almost made Tomoya laugh when he saw it, but his laughter died when his dad put the letter down and told Tomoya that he would try to be there.

Now, he felt like he had to go. It would be weird if his dad showed up and he didn’t. And now that it was something that he _had_ to do, it didn’t seem like it was as much fun anymore. While putting his books into his randoseru, he wished that there was something… anything else that he could do instead of having to go to this girl’s birthday party. But, he really didn’t have any plans…

“Hey Tomoya, want to play some basketball?” a few of the other boys in the class were gathered together near the door. One of them already had the ball tucked under his arm.

“Yeah, let’s go!” Tomoya told himself this would be okay. He could play basketball for a while and then go to the party. After all, his dad would be late going there too.

 

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – Nagisa’s Elementary School**

* * *

Nagisa blinked when she left her school building through the big double doors and saw the small delivery truck parked across the street. The faded paint on the side said Furukawa Bakery and had the phone number of the shop phone. Her parents had purchased the delivery truck years ago when they thought they would be doing a lot of catering business. Although that hadn’t panned out, they had kept the truck anyways. But, they almost never used it for anything but supply runs for the bakery.

“Are we going to the market?” Nagisa asked as she reached up to hold her mother’s hand.

“No, we are going to Kotomi’s birthday party.” Sanae smiled as they headed for the crosswalk to get them to the other side of the street where the truck was parked.

“In the truck? Does she live far away?” Nagisa asked.

“No, not too far if you’re just walking.” Sanae opened the door for Nagisa to climb in and also for her to see her father sitting in the back and carefully holding onto a big three-tiered cake. “But it would be too far to carry the cake your father made.

“Otōsan, that’s amazing!” Nagisa cried out as she took in the grandeur of the cake, then she asked, “How may people are going to be at this party?”

“Oh… not that many. But, the bakery wasn’t that busy this morning and… I got a little carried away.” Akio blushed a little but was obviously proud of his creation at the same time.

 

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – Kotomi’s Elementary School**

* * *

The private academy that little Kotomi attended was only a few train stops away from her house. But for a grade school aged child, that train trip could be a very frightening adventure. Japanese trains were, and still are, notorious for being stuffed as full as they can get. So, Kotomi was usually escorted to school in the mornings and back again in the early afternoon.

It was a nice school in the Japanese escalator format. The elementary school fed into the middle school, which then fed into the high school. All of their graduates were accepted into the top schools in the nation although many of them chose to study abroad in some of the most prestigious universities in the world. If Kotomi hadn’t stopped going to school after her parents died, she would have ended up graduating from this school by default… possibly. Even though it was fairly exclusive, it wasn’t one of the top ten schools in the nation either. And, now that the Ichinose parents knew that their daughter was a prodigy, many things would probably be re-evaluated in the coming years. But for now, their daughter was still attending the familiar academy.

And, the school was somewhat familiar to the elder Kotomi too. She had only gone to this school for a few years before the tragedy that had turned her into a young shut-in. But, those memories were still clear enough for her to find the place on her own. Waiting in the courtyard for the bell that would release the elementary grade students, she looked up at the cherry, peach, and plum trees. Over the last several months they had looked spectacular with their branches full of blooms. But May was the time of pause between the splendor of the late winter blooms, and the doldrums of the early summer rains. The branches were rich with leaves now, but the pretty petals were gone until the next year. The flower boxes were full of color though.

Kotomi had always admired the flowers at the school. It was the one thing she had missed when she stopped going. She didn’t miss the camaraderie of friends… because she had never made any there. Always studious, even in those first few years of elementary school, she had seemed too aloof and unapproachable to the other children in the class. She wasn’t bullied or shunned – it was just that none of the other children made the attempt to include her. And Kotomi… didn’t care. Rather than talking or playing, she preferred to read.

 _At least, that is what I told myself. Until Tomoya-kun walked into my back yard. What a momentous day that turned out to be. If only…_ The sadness came back to her like the shadow from the cloud that briefly obscures the sun. He had been in her life for such a short time before the tragedy… before she told him to leave her alone. _Oh, those dreadful, regrettable words!_ For years, she had hated herself for that fateful outburst. But the cloud and the shadow passed when she thought of all she had accomplished since reuniting with her beloved Tomoya-kun, and how the Kotomi-chan in this universe would never have to suffer like she had.

The bell sounded in the halls of the elementary wing and soon she was surrounded by hundreds of small children making their way to the school gate. She would still have a few moments to look at the flowers though. She recalled never being in a rush to leave the school.

“Kotomi-chan?” the younger version of Kotomi’s voice called out from the sea of children.

“Kotomi-chan.” the deeper Kotomi voice replied.

“Are you here to take me home?” the child asked.

“Yes, are you ready to see Tomoya-kun, and Nagisa-chan, and celebrate your birthday?” the elder Kotomi asked as she reached out to take the little girl’s hand.

“Yes!” the child replied instantly as she took the offered hand. Then her head tilted a bit as she asked, “Who is Nagisa-chan?”

“She is going to be a good friend of yours.” Kotomi replied as they slowly started walking toward the gate.

“Oh… I’m not very good at making friends.” the child admitted sadly.

“Don’t worry. You have a few things in common with her.” the elder Kotomi smiled as she remembered that day in the Drama Club room when she first met the girl whose illness would lead her to remarkable discoveries. And… who had always been a good friend.

“I do?” young Kotomi asked as she looked up to her elder.

“Indeed. Just remember to mention that you like the Big Dango Family.” Kotomi said with confidence.

“Oh… okay.” young Kotomi did like the Big Dango Family. She thought they were cute and also liked the idea of a big family. _If this Nagisa-chan really likes those things too, then maybe we can be friends._

 

“What are we doing here?” young Kotomi asked as her elder self walked toward the Takarakuji booth in the plaza in front of the train station. It was brightly adorned with flags and posters that advertised all the lottery tickets that you could buy there. But she had never been close to one since her parents told her that only people that were bad at math played the lottery. “Onee-san, are you bad at math?”

“No.” the elder Kotomi chuckled as she too remembered her father’s admonishment about such foolishness. “I’m just picking up a gift.”

The young Kotomi said nothing as she watched her ‘Onee-chan’ hand a scrap of paper to the person in the booth.

“One ticket with those numbers please?” Kotomi told the attendant. It took a little more time to purchase a ticket with exact numbers than it did to buy a ticket with randomly generated numbers. But Kotomi had a reason for wanting these specific numbers.

 

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – Tomoya’s Elementary School**

* * *

The basketball game didn’t last long. In fact, they didn’t get a chance to score even once before a bunch of sixth year boys showed up and started taking all the courts. At first, Tomoya wanted to do something about it. But one of his friends pointed out that the PE teacher was with them and it looked like this was some kind of after school event.

“I still don’t think it’s fair!” Tomoya grumbled.

“Yeah… but the courts are on the school grounds. If a teacher from the school says we have to leave...”

“Then we have to leave.” another boy finished.

“Whatever… I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Tomoya said as he stalked off.

“You don’t wanna do somethin else?”

“Nah, not today. I’m just gonna go home.” Tomoya knew his mood wasn’t good now for anything and when he felt like that, he just wanted to be alone.

He heard the other boys calling out that they would see him tomorrow, but he had already said his goodbyes. He thought he was going to be upset for a while, but it didn’t last as long as he thought. Half way home, he realized that he hadn’t been all that fired up about playing basketball anyway. He was already on his street and could see his door when he stumbled into remembering something important.

 _I wonder if there are any treats at home. No… dad hasn’t brought any home since last weekend. The last time I had some was… THAT LADY! The birthday party! There’s supposed to be treats there!_ He almost turned around and started running for the house when another idea occurred to him. _I could put my school stuff away first, I guess. That’ll make it easier to run._

A few minutes later, young Tomoya was racing down the neighborhood streets.

 

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – The Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Kotomi and Kotomi arrived at their home, both looking forward to the birthday party. For the elder Kotomi, it was a chance to have things go right that had gone so terribly wrong the first time around. And for the younger Kotomi, she could see Tomoya again and maybe make a new friend.

“Do you think Tomoya-kun is already here?” young Kotomi asked hopefully.

“Possibly. His school is a lot closer to your house than the academy where you go.” elder Kotomi replied, then added, “But it looks like Nagisa-chan is already here.”

“How do you know that?” young Kotomi asked.

“The truck in front of your house is from the Furukawa Bakery. Nagisa lives there.” elder Kotomi answered.

“She lives in a bakery?” young Kotomi had never heard of something like that before.

“Not in the bakery itself, but her family owns the bakery and it is attached to their house.” elder Kotomi explained.

“We’re home!” both of them announced as they stepped into the foyer and changed into their house slippers. Young Kotomi could see that there were indeed several pairs of shoes there that she didn’t recognize.

“Welcome home!” voices echoed from down the hallway.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” elder Kotomi asked her younger self.

“How did you know?” younger Kotomi asked.

“You haven’t let go of my hand.” elder Kotomi said, but didn’t make any move to extricate her hand from the child’s grip either.

“Oh yeah…” younger Kotomi was about to bravely pull her hand away but her onee-chan patted her on the head compassionately.

“You have nothing to worry about. Nagisa-chan is a very nice girl. I promise.” elder Kotomi said quietly.

“I’m just… not very good at making friends.” young Kotomi admitted.

“I know. Would you like me to help you?” elder Kotomi offered.

“Please!” younger Kotomi replied gratefully just as they got into the den and saw Nagisa-chan for the first time.

She was a fairly ordinary looking girl with brown eyes and chestnut colored hair. But it was her serene smile and her two hair antennae that made her stick out the most… in both the Kotomi’s minds.

Nagisa was standing in the living room, holding her hands in front of her and looking at the girl and the woman that looked so remarkably similar. The thing that struck her the most about them was their beautiful long hair.

“What do I do?” younger Kotomi whispered up to her onee-chan. She was hiding behind her elder self’s legs and peering around her hips to see this new girl.

“Try telling her your name.” elder Kotomi suggested as she sidestepped her younger self and pushed the shy child out toward Nagisa.

“It’s Kotomi, written in hiragana characters as ko-to-mi. You can call me Kotomi-chan.” the shy younger version of the two said to Nagisa.

“My name is Nagisa written in one kanji. People have different ways of addressing me.” Nagisa replied in a sweet and friendly voice that did a lot to calm the young Kotomi down.

“Nagisa-chan?” Kotomi ventured.

“Yes!” Nagisa accepted.

“My last name is Ichinose.” Kotomi didn’t know what else to say, so she started with significant statistics and characteristics.

“Furukawa.” Nagisa replied.

“Year 2.” Kotomi said.

“Year 3.” Nagisa sounded a little surprised. _Oh, I didn’t realize I was older than_ _her!_

“Type A blood.” Kotomi said.

“Huh?” Nagisa hadn’t learned that kind of thing yet and looked back to where her father was leaning against the wall and watching this strange greeting ritual.

“You have type A blood too.” Akio told her.

“Me too!” Nagisa said happily.

“Pork cutlet sandwich.” Kotomi went to food mostly because she could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen.

“Anpan.” Nagisa replied.

“African Elephant.” Kotomi did a quick survey and worried that she was quickly running out of identifying characteristics.

“Cats.” Nagisa replied and was waiting for the next association word. She was rather enjoying this game, but her father cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Nagisa, isn’t there something you want to say?” he suggested.

“Your hair is so shiny, it’s really pretty!” Nagisa said.

“Not that!” Akio had his hand over his face at this example of his daughter’s cluelessness. Hoping a hint would be sufficient, he said, “About her special day...”

“Happy Birthday!” Nagisa cheered, then reached to the low living room table and picked up a small package wrapped in bright paper. As she handed it to the young Kotomi, she said, “I hope it’s something you like.”

“I like…” the suggestion her onee-chan had given her, came back to her now and she told the smiling girl, “I like the Big Dango Family.”

Nagisa’s eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped open in delighted shock.

“What happened?” Sanae asked as she emerged from the kitchen and saw her daughter excitedly holding the hands of the purple haired girl that did look like a younger version of the Kotomi she had previously met. And, since they were still standing close to each other, she could see that they even had the same hair style.

“That little girl may have just become Nagisa’s best friend for life.” Akio chuckled.

 

Young Tomoya arrived a few minutes later and was taken aback by how many adults were at this party. He knew the Ichinose parents already and he had met the lady that looked like she could be Kotomi’s older sister. But there was another girl here that he didn’t know and there were two more parents.

He had a sinking feeling that this was going to be some kind of formal party where adults would expect children to sit quietly and behave themselves. He had never been dragged into one of those himself, but other kids at school had whined about how boring it was whenever they had to dress up and behave themselves for something that was important to their parents.

“Tomoya-kun, thank you for coming.” the elder Kotomi made a polite bow to him in greeting.

“Th… thank you for inviting me.” Tomoya appreciated the greeting and the lady really did look happy to see him. But the formality of her greeting gave him a sinking feeling that this was to be a ‘polite’ event after all.

“Ah, this must be Tomoya-kun!” the lady that he hadn’t met before said. Unlike the bowing Kotomi-san, Sanae knelt so that she was talking to Tomoya from the same height.

“Yes.” Tomoya acknowledged. Looking at the woman more closely now, Tomoya supposed that with a similar hair color and those weird hair antennae, she looked like she could be the other girl’s mother… or older sister?

“I am Furukawa Sanae, and this is my daughter Nagisa.” the lady said while gesturing at the girl who was still talking to Kotomi. Sanae turned and called out to the two girls, “Nagisa, Kotomi has a guest who has arrived. You two can talk about dango’s later.”

“Sorry Okāsan.” Nagisa stopped her chat as her mother requested and came over to meet Tomoya with Kotomi.

“Tomoya-kun!” Kotomi was thrilled to see that her friend had arrived. She liked this new girl too, but Tomoya had been her first real friend.

“Kotomi-chan.” Tomoya replied in their usual way.

“Thank you for coming to my party.” Kotomi smiled.

“We brought a cake!” Nagisa chirped.

“Oh um…” Tomoya suddenly realized that he had gone to a birthday party without a gift. But he didn’t have time to worry about it.

“You should see it. This cake is amazing!” Kotomi reached out and took his right hand, ready to pull him all the way into the kitchen.

“Just a moment!” Sanae said in a tone that reminded the kids of a school teacher. “There are still people in the kitchen preparing food. Why don’t we go play in the back yard for a bit? In fact, I have something special for all three of you out there. We set up a treasure hunt game for you three. There are clues and prizes waiting for you.” Sanae said as she stood back up and gestured to the back door.

“Let’s go!” Tomoya sounded the charge and the girls rushed out of the house with him.

“I’ll go keep an eye on them” Sanae said to the others as she followed in the wake of the excited children.

“She sure does know how to keep children entertained.” Koutarou said with admiration.

“Sanae-san went to school to become a middle school teacher.” Kotomi told him.

“How did you know… oh yeah.” Akio still found himself being surprised at the level of detail that this woman knew about his family. ‘This woman’ who they had only just met. “You know… I was still skeptical. But seeing the two of you standing next to each other… it’s just...”

“I know what you mean.” Koutarou agreed with the other father, “I can grasp the physics of how something like this could happen, but it’s still odd to me as well.” Turning to his elder daughter he commented, “I thought you would be out there watching the children as well.”

“I dearly want to. But I need to greet Okazaki Naoyuki when he arrives.” Kotomi said.

“Do you think he’ll come?” her father asked.

“I believe I gave him a sufficient incentive.” Kotomi replied. But she couldn’t be sure. From the stories that Tomoya had told her about his father, she knew that he had not _yet_ become an abusive alcoholic. Or at least… not that Tomoya had remembered.

 

**Thursday afternoon, May 13, 1993 – The Okazaki Residence**

* * *

Naoyuki stood for a moment outside the front door of his house. He was looking at the letter in his hand and wondering what he should do. On the one hand, his next job would be starting up in an hour. He would be unloading trucks for several hours and it didn’t really pay all that well. But it was enough to make sure the bills got paid at the end of the month.

On the other hand, a woman had given a letter to his son to give to him the other day. He was looking at the envelope now but he didn’t pull the letter out. He didn’t need to. He had read it several times already and was still puzzled by it. The letter came with a warning and an offer. He was warned that something bad would happen to his son in the near future, and he was offered the knowledge and an opportunity to make sure that didn’t happen. At first he thought that she might just be some kind of random wacko, but she knew things about his past that most people shouldn’t know.

Indeed, when he had first read it, he thought it sounded like a threat. And he didn’t like threats. But the way it was written didn’t seem like a threat so much as… pleading. Whoever this woman was, it seemed that she genuinely cared about his son and didn’t want him to get hurt.

While standing there and trying to decide, his stomach rumbled. This prompted another recollection, but this time from his son. Tomoya had been pretty excited about how good the food was at the Ichinose house, and that this woman had told him there would be lots of food and treats at the party.

 _Ugh. Have I become the kind of person who trails along behind my son to see_ _i_ _f there might be some food for me?_ He thought about making something quick and eating it before leaving, but if they really were planning to feed everyone, then it would be impolite to eat first. _What to do?_

His stomach grumbled again.

“Fine, you talked me into it.” Naoyuki said to his complaining belly and turned back toward the street.

 

The instructions to get him to the Ichinose home were included in the letter. They were quite clear and he was soon nearing his destination. The homes in this area looked very nice and he wondered how his son had met a girl from such a nice place. While he was looking about, something caught his eye. Several meters above the street in front of him hovered… or floated, a strange translucent thing that was wobbling and changing shape as he looked at it.

It seemed to stretch out to a long worm-like shape, then collapse back into something that resembled a partially deflated ball. Although translucent, it’s surface shimmered under the sunlight and seemed to reflect the colors of the rainbow. A thought occurred to him that the instructions he had been following had sent him instead to some strange fairyland. But he knew he was getting close when he heard the squeal of young voices coming from a yard that he was passing.

There was no high fence or wall to protect the yard and he could see the two girls and his son running across the yard with big bubble wands. And they were huge too! The circle in the wand could easily go around one of the children. He had only ever seen the little ones that made bubbles no larger than a baseball. Just then, one of the girls shrieked with laughter as they completed another of the giant floating shimmering wonders. The wind from the small creek valley behind the yard caught the bubble and sent it floating up and over the roof of the two-story house.

“Otousan! Look at this!” Tomoya hollered as he spun around and made the big bubble spiral around his body. But the circle was too tight and it popped into a fine mist that fell to the ground all around him.

“Very nice, Tomoya.” Naoyuki cheered his son, then noticed the movement of someone else that he hadn’t noticed before. An attractive woman… or maybe one of the children’s older sister, was walking toward him.

“You must be Tomoya’s father.” Sanae called out as she approached the man at the back yard gate. “I am Furukawa Sanae, Nagisa’s okāsan.”

“Sanae? Then you’re not the person who sent me this?” he asked while he held out the letter from Kotomi.

“No, I was also invited here.” Sanae said as she opened the gate for him. She could see the worry in his eyes and told him. “Kotomi is going to tell you some… pretty unbelievable things, but she isn’t crazy.”

“Did she tell you some… unbelievable things?” Naoyuki asked.

“Yes. She told my husband and me… some very interesting things that were hard to believe at first.” Sanae admitted.

“Do you believe her?” he asked.

“I do, but more importantly, the people who live here do.” Sanae gestured at the big house behind them and asked, “Do you know who the Ichinose’s are?”

“No.” Naoyuki admitted.

“They are world class scientists.” Sanae let that sink in for a moment before she suggested, “Let’s go inside. Kotomi has been anticipating your arrival for a while.”

 

“Naoyuki-san!” Kotomi gasped when she saw who Sanae had brought in through the back door. She wanted to run over to him and greet him properly, but her hands were occupied over the stove at the moment.

“I’ll take that.” Sanae said as she took the spoon out of Kotomi’s hand and gave her a push, “You’re way too excited to be in the kitchen right now.”

Naoyuki could tell that the tall purple haired woman recognized him, but he still couldn’t place her at all. His confusion only grew when she started talking.

“Oh my, you look so young.” She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes glittered with happy tears as she looked him up and down, “I never saw you looking so healthy before. I’m so glad you came.”

“You… must be Kotomi?” he asked.

“I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting to introduce myself.” Assuming a polite posture she began her introduction litany, “Hello, how do you do? I’m Okazaki Kotomi…”

“Okazaki?” Naoyuki reacted. Unlike his son, he _did_ have memories of his family. The family that had cast him out for marrying the love of his life… the woman who was Tomoya’s mother. Some of them hated him. Many of them blamed him for a great many things and still held grudges against him. But he blamed them for the death of his wife. The memory of that pain made him take a step back from this purple haired woman. “I don’t remember you.”

“I married into the family.” Kotomi said carefully. Even with her weak interpersonal skills, she could tell that the man was agitated.

“When did that happen?” Naoyuki couldn’t remember any of his male relatives that should have been the right age to marry someone as pretty as this girl… at least none that a pretty girl like this would marry.

“2003, August 17.” Kotomi answered. _Oh no! The pictures, I haven’t shown him the pictures yet!_

“2003? That’s a pretty long engagement.” Naoyuki wondered if he might have run into the most gullible woman in the world. _Wow! Talk about stringing someone along!_

“No, not engaged. We are married. You see… I am from another world that is very similar to this one, except my world is in your future.” Kotomi tried to explain as simply as she could. Unlike her parents, she couldn’t drag him down the road of physics to prove anything scientifically. _If only I had started with the pictures._

“Look, I don’t know who put you up to this…” Naoyuki rarely got mad enough to yell at people, but if this was his family suddenly showing up after all this time – it was possible they might try to take his son away from him. And that was something he was not going to let happen. But, before he could finish his invective, another man interrupted their growing argument.

“Okazaki-san.” Koutarou called out as he approached them with his daughter in tow. “I am Ichinose Koutarou, the father of Kotomi-chan.”

“Kotomi...chan?” Naoyuki at first assumed that he was introducing himself as this woman’s father, but the little girl next to him made a slight bow at the reference. “Two Kotomi’s?”

“Otōsan, is he a bully?” the younger Kotomi asked worriedly.

“No, he isn’t. He is just a bit confused. Now could you be a good girl and stand next to Kotomi for me?” the patient father asked.

Naoyuki watched as the little girl moved over toward the strange woman and the girl’s father moved to stand next to him.

The elder Kotomi knew what her father had in mind, but she was twice as tall as her younger self so it wouldn’t be as evident. With an easy swoop, she picked up the younger Kotomi in her arms so that their faces were next to each other.

It was a pretty strange sight. Not only did the two of them have the same facial features and eyes, their hair was done up the same way. They even had the same hair baubles. If they had been the same age, Naoyuki would have sworn they were identical twins.

“Is this her mother?” Naoyuki guessed.

“No, she’s over there in the kitchen.” Koutarou said loud enough for his wife to hear.

“Hello!” Mizue called out from where she was setting dishes out.

Naoyuki gave a halfhearted wave but Mizue was already concentrating on the next thing that had to be set up for their dinner.

“Sister?” Naoyuki guessed.

“No, Kotomi is an only child.” Koutarou replied. “But, you’re pretty close. Let me ask you this: What do you think my little girl might look like in ten to twenty years?”

Naoyuki was still struggling to put it all together in his mind, but he hadn’t been the only one listening. The younger Kotomi turned and looked at her older self and blinked.

“The day before yesterday, I saw a rabbit.” she said to the woman holding her.

“Yesterday, a deer.” Kotomi replied to her favorite passage.

“Today,” young Kotomi tilted her head and finished by changing the last word to reflect their circumstance, “me.”

“Very good Kotomi-chan.” the elder Kotomi said to the girl she was still holding.

“Are you really me?” Kotomi-chan asked with wide eyes.

“I am… sort of. I suppose, now that you have figured out that much, we should have a little talk.” the elder Kotomi walked away from the two men with the child still in her arms.

“You mean that...” Naoyuki couldn’t finish saying out loud what he was thinking. It was just too impossible.

“That’s right. In her universe, my Ichinose Kotomi grew up to become Okazaki Kotomi, after she married… your son.”

 

The time had spun by faster than anyone would have believed. The children had played until they collapsed. Then the food was ready. The elder Kotomi and her mother had prepared such an extravagant feast mostly because Kotomi wanted to show off to her mother how talented she had become in the kitchen. Then it was time for… the cake.

Standing three tiers tall, and with each tier being a different kind of cake, it was amazing. Tomoya preferred the heavy chocolate cake with the icing that just added more chocolaty flavor. Kotomi preferred the angelically light cake with the glazed fruit topping. And Nagisa liked the tier with the red bean paste icing that reminded her of Anpan.

The food had been incredible, the conversation was never dull, and the revelations were… stunning. Naoyuki had a lot to think about as he and Tomoya headed for home. They were certainly all very nice people and the idea of his son ending up with friends like them was… heartwarming.

Kotomi had thrust another letter into his hand as they were leaving and told him to open it soon. He decided that _now_ was pretty soon, so he fished the envelope out of his pocket and looked at it again. Just like the last envelope, it simply had his name written on the front. When he opened it, he found a note and a Takarakuji ticket. He didn’t play the lottery but he did recognize what the ticket looked like and this one was for the coming weekend. Flipping over to the note, he read her brief message to him.

_Okazaki-san, this is a little experiment to see how close our realities are to each other. If the data from my world matches this universe, the fourth number should be incorrect. Please let me know how this turns out. - Kotomi_

Naoyuki laughed a little bit as he thrust the envelope and its contents back into his pocket. _She plays the lottery? That’s unexpected for a scientist. Maybe in the future…_ He stopped walking and his eyes opened wide. _It can’t be! Surely she didn’t mean that…_

“What’s wrong Otōsan?” Tomoya called out when he noticed his dad had abruptly stopped walking.

“Oh… its probably nothing.” Naoyuki recalled part of what the strange woman had written.

_If the data from my world matches this universe, the fourth number should be incorrect._

“So, does that mean the other numbers would be correct?” he muttered to himself. He wondered if the amount won for only five of the six numbers were written on the back of the ticket as he started walking towards home again.

“What?” Tomoya thought he had heard his father say something but couldn’t make it out.

“Nothing, nothing.” Naoyuki replied as he sped up his pace and patted his pocket, “Let’s hurry on home now. You have school tomorrow and… I need to check on something.”

 

**Sunday morning, May 16, 1993 – The Okazaki Residence**

* * *

Naoyuki stared out the front door of his house at the incredible woman from another world. He had already checked the numbers and she had been right. In fact, she had been _exactly_ right. All of the numbers, except the fourth one, matched the winning numbers… just as she had said. If the fourth number had been a thirty instead of a ten, the ticket would have won the grand prize.

“How was it?” Kotomi asked as she faced the gawking man.

“You were right. The ticket won a million yen. If only you had known the fourth number…” Naoyuki said with a tinge of disappointment that she hadn't been able to get all six of the numbers.

“I did know the fourth number.” She told him.

“But… you wrote down a ten, and the correct number was a thirty.” Naoyuki countered.

“Ten – thirty. Tomoya-kun’s birthday.” Kotomi said as if she were answering a riddle.

“You mean… you intentionally got that number wrong?” Naoyuki was stunned yet again. He didn’t know whether to be angry, disgusted, or… or… what? _How could she do something so careless?_

“It was an experiment to determine plausibility of a theory of mine.” Kotomi told him.

“You did this… to prove a theory?” Naoyuki decided that he would _never_ understand scientists.

“That's right. And now that the theory shows promise, I would like your assistance in moving forward with a plan.” Kotomi asked.

“Plan? What plan?” Naoyuki gawked.

“Okazaki-san, are you going to invite me in?” Kotomi finally asked. After all, he had stood in the doorway and hadn’t invited her in all this time.

“Oh… of course.” Naoyuki blushed at his thoughtlessness. But he was embarrassed to have someone as nice as her in his little home. “It’s sort of a mess right now...”

“Believe me Okazaki-san, I have seen it in a much worse state than this.” Kotomi almost gagged at the memory of the time they came to assess Tomoya’s old home.

“Oh… okay then.” Naoyuki wondered if he had become a slob in the future as he stood aside to let her in. He watched her take a seat at the small table in his living room and offered, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Not just yet. There is something I wish to explore first. Would you mind answering some questions?” Kotomi then added before he could respond, “I'm afraid some of the questions may seem rather personal, but believe me – they are necessary for me to arrive at the best solution.”

“I will answer your questions.” Naoyuki promised. The others at the party had warned him that her social skills may not be that good, but she had a good heart.

“I know that you dropped out of high school and ran off to marry the woman you love.” Kotomi started.

Naoyuki stiffened at that cold reminder.

“What I want to know is… were you a good student before that happened?” Kotomi asked.

“Huh?” Naoyuki had been expecting her to ask him about his relationship with his family or if he now regretted his actions. The question wasn't at all what he had expected and it threw him off.

“I'm sorry. Was that too personal?” Kotomi could see the confusion in the man's face and worried that she had already gone too far.

“No, I was just surprised.” he said as he waved off her concern, “Actually, I was pretty good. I wasn't a genius like you or your parents, but I had good grades. My family wanted me to go to college in Sapporo after I graduated.”

“Is that one of the reasons why you and your family don't get along? Is it because you didn't want to go to college?” Kotomi asked.

“No, I wanted to go. But I couldn’t without their support and…” the memory was too painful for Naoyuki to continue.

“You lost that support when you wouldn’t give up on your love.” Kotomi finished and watched him nod his head in agreement. “Then, is it fair to say that you would choose to become educated now, if you had the chance?”

“I'm too old now to go back to school.” Naoyuki chuckled at the suggestion.

“But, if there was a way. Would you do it?” Kotomi insisted.

“Okay… if there was a way for a poor old man like me to go back to school, I would do it.” Naoyuki said.

“That concludes the first inquiry topic. Are you ready to continue?” Kotomi asked brightly.

“Sure. I guess that wasn't too difficult.” Naoyuki smiled.

“Good. Do you have any regular employment or would you describe yourself as a part-time, pick-up, or seasonal worker?” Kotomi asked innocently. She didn't realize that many people were embarrassed to only be working odd jobs when they were supposed to be responsible adults.

“I don't have any regular employment. No… Mostly pick-up labor, I guess.” Naoyuki admitted. He had to remind himself that Kotomi was a nice person and surely didn't mean to insult him with that question.

“Excellent!” Kotomi actually seemed to be happy with his answer, “Then, do you think that you could take the next one or two weeks off from work?”

“No, I still need to pay the bills.” Naoyuki laughed at the fun, but impossible suggestion.

“I never meant for you to be unpaid. In effect, you will be working for me. I want you to use the money from that Takarakuji ticket to travel to specific prefectures and buy more Takarakuji tickets.” Kotomi explained.

“More of your… specific numbers?” Naoyuki's eyebrows raised at the possibility that she might be able to do it again.

“That's right. You'll be going out to Kyushu first...” Kotomi started to explain.

“Kyushu?” Naoyuki gasped. He had moved from Hokkaido to where he lived now, but that was all the travel he had done in his life. A journey to the the southernmost part of the main islands seemed like a dream rather than a job.

“Yes. I want you to buy the prefecture tickets in their respective prefectures.” Kotomi told him.

“I don't think you have to do that.” Naoyuki was going to suggest that she just buy them all in Tokyo and be done with it.

“No, they must be purchased _at their prefectures_. Do you not want to do this?” Kotomi asked him. She was concerned that his suggestion meant that he wasn't interested in her project.

“It's fine. I don't have a problem with it… but it could take a while.” Naoyuki warned.

“That's fine. If I go home… back to my universe, before you finish – I will leave instructions with my mother and father. Okay?” Kotomi told him. She hadn't planned that out, but Naoyuki had a point. The Shinkansen wasn't nearly as complete in 1993 as it was in 2010, so there would be a lot of places where he would have to take slower trains and buses.

“I'll try and finish it as quickly as possible then.” Naoyuki said with determination and asked, “All I need to do is buy a ticket from each prefecture in Kyushu and hurry back, right?”

“No. I also want the tickets redeemed in their respective prefectures.” Kotomi replied.

“It sounds like I might be gone for… quite a few days.”

“I expect the Kyushu region to take you a week.” Kotomi said.

“A week?” Naoyuki thought he could do better time than that. Sure, there were seven prefectures on the island of Kyushu, but they were small.

“Okazaki-san, My data doesn't just tell me the historic winning numbers. It also tells me which lotteries had winners and which ones expired with no winner. You will only be purchasing tickets for contests where there was no winner.” Kotomi explained why her project would take so long.

“I see. I guess I would be missing a lot of work, and Tomoya…” Naoyuki looked concerned.

“Okazaki-san, I can make it worth your while. And, please don’t worry about Tomoya-kun. He will be staying at the Ichinose house while you are away. I promise that he will be well cared for.”

“I’m not worried about that. I’m sure you and the Ichinose’s would take excellent care of Tomoya. But to take so much time away from work… and this trip sounds like it could be… pretty expensive.”

“You will be using the money from the ticket that has already won. Use it for the trains, buses, hotel rooms, and for food.” Kotomi had already worked out how much the trip should cost and knew that he would have enough money unless he became terribly wasteful. Then, she handed him a bank card and told him, “Each time you collect the winnings, have them put the money on this card.”

Naoyuki took the card and looked it over. It just looked like an ordinary bank card so he guessed it wasn't some kind of magical credit card from the future. In fact, the card was branded from a local bank that he recognized.

“You really thought this through, didn't you?” Naoyuki said as a complement.

“I tried to think of all the logistics, but I'm sure there may be some unexpected trouble. That is why I want to send you to take care of this for me.” Kotomi told him.

 _Because I'm expendable?_ Naoyuki wondered.

“I believe you will be resourceful enough to deal with any difficulty that may arise.” Kotomi said with a smile.

“Oh! Thank you, Kotomi-chan.” Naoyuki didn't often get praise like that and rather enjoyed the feeling that it gave him.

“May I have some tea now?” Kotomi asked politely.

“Oh… sure, let me make some.” Naoyuki went into the kitchen and wondered just how much more his life would change from meeting this woman.

 

**Sunday morning, May 23, 1993 – Fukuoka, Japan**

* * *

There were seven prefectures on the southernmost island, but only four of them had tickets for Naoyuki to buy in the week that he was there. The prefectures weren’t always right next to each other, but not having to hit all seven had made the week a lot less hectic, and the travel really wasn’t so bad. In fact, he had been enjoying this job quite a bit.

In the last few years, his body would sometimes start to hurt after weeks of strenuous labor from his usual jobs. However, the work that he had done for Kotomi required nothing more strenuous than riding trains and watching the blur of passing scenery outside the train’s big picture windows. It had actually been a refreshing break from his usual routine, but it was over now. He had returned to each of the four prefectures with the special bank card and had the money transferred into the account just as Kotomi had asked. And now… it was time to go home.

The idea of returning home was bittersweet. He looked forward to seeing Tomoya again, but it would also mean a return to his odd jobs. Now that he thought of it that way, this job had almost been a vacation for him. _If only Tomoya could have been with me._ _He would have loved the views of the ocean and_ _the parks. Particularly, that Dinosaur Park in Kagoshima…_

Thinking about his son, Naoyuki was almost finished packing when the phone in his room rang. He was thinking it would be the front desk making some kind of courtesy call, but was surprised to hear Kotomi on the other end.

“Kotomi-chan?” he knew he sounded bewildered but the call had been unexpected.

“Good morning, Okazaki-san. How was your trip so far?” she asked politely.

_...so far?_

“It has been quite pleasant. Thank you. I hope Tomoya has behaved himself.” Naoyuki replied politely as well.

“He has been a little darling. I have enjoyed watching him play with Kotomi-chan every day.” she told him.

 _I'm looking forward to seeing him when I get home._ He was about to say when he heard Kotomi's next line.

“Are you ready for your next assignment?” Kotomi asked in as friendly a voice as she had used when telling him about his son, “I believe you should be able to proceed to the Chugoku region next. While you are there, do you think you could also get Kagawa in Shikoku, and Hyogo in the Kansai region?”

“Ah… Kotomi-chan… well, I don't know if I will have enough money to last through another week doing this. All the travel ended up being more expensive than I thought.” Naoyuki admitted. He felt somewhat guilty that he had used up so much of the money that she had given him, but it had been necessary since he had to visit every place twice.

“Don't worry. I have anticipated this.” Kotomi reassured him, “I have already transferred another million yen into your account.”

“Ah, I see.” _Another million yen! How can she just do something like that?_ “Well then, I will do my best.” Naoyuki promised.

“Call me when you get to your hotel room in Yamaguchi and I will have the next set of destinations and numbers for you.”

“Yes, Kotomi-san.” Naoyuki had been about to more respectfully call her by her last name, but it seemed odd since she had the same name as him.

“I believe your son would like to talk to you.” Kotomi said before handing the phone over to a very excited young Tomoya.

“Otōsan, are you coming home now?” Tomoya shouted into the phone.

“Not yet. I still have some more work to do for Kotomi-san. It may be… a few more weeks before I get home. Will you be okay?” Naoyuki knew that his son’s fierce pride would kick in, if he asked the question that way – and he was counting on it.

“I’ll be okay! I’m a big boy.” Tomoya said as expected.

“Yes you are. But you have to be good while the Ichinose’s are looking after you, and don’t make any trouble for Kotomi-san either.” Naoyuki cautioned the rambunctious boy.

“I’ll be good.” Tomoya whined.

“Tell me the things that makes a parent happy, so I don’t have to ask you about them.” Naoyuki chuckled.

“Fine… I’m eating well and I’m doing all my homework.” Tomoya said dryly.

“Really?” Naoyuki thought it a good chance that his carefree son might just be paying him lip service.

“Yeah, Kotomi-san and Ichinose-san are really good cooks. Sometimes they make weird stuff that I’ve never tried before, but it all tastes good.” Tomoya chirped.

“I meant about the other thing. Are you really doing all your homework.” Naoyuki stipulated.

“Ugh, yes.” Tomoya grudgingly admitted, “It’s so weird. Everyone here thinks that the homework is _soooo_ important. Even Kotomi-chan!”

“They are all very smart people and education is very important to them.” Naoyuki then added, “Your education is important to me too. I’m proud of you for doing all your homework.”

“Even if it’s because they _made_ me do it?” Tomoya asked quietly.

“Even so. But, it would make me even more proud of you if you did it without anyone making you.” Naoyuki prompted.

“Well… I’ll try. But I’ll still need help… getting it done. Some of it’s kinda hard.” Tomoya mewled.

“It’s okay to ask for help, and I’m sure the Ichinose’s would be happy to help you.” Naoyuki said encouragingly.

“Oh. I have to go now. Breakfast is ready. Bye Otōsan!” Tomoya said cheerfully as he hung up the phone.

I really need to teach him to wait for the other person to say goodbye before hanging up. But… he is still young. Naoyuki hung up the phone and wondered how long it would be until he was home again. At his current pace, it would take him a week to get through the Kansai region, and another week to get through Chubu. At this rate, it would be almost a month from when he left, to when he could get home again. Being honest with himself, he didn't mind the travel so much, but he did miss his son. He decided to talk to Tomoya again when he got to Yamaguchi.

But something else was bothering him. It wasn’t the conversation with his son – Tomoya seemed fine. There was something that troubled him about the conversation with Kotomi-san. Except for that one moment when she was telling him how much she enjoyed watching Tomoya at the Ichinose house, Kotomi had sounded… sad. For a moment, he wondered what could be bothering the girl genius, but that was something he could ponder on the long train ride. For now, he had to check out of his hotel and get to the Fukuoka train station.

 

**Wednesday early morning, June 9, 1993 – The Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Koutarou and Mizue had been worried about the elder Kotomi for the last few weeks. They could tell that she was trying to be brave and smile through whatever was troubling her. But like her younger self, she was an easy read. They knew she was depressed, and they suspected they knew the reason for it.

Every night, Kotomi would go down to the park and set up in the dugout with the sensor ball sitting in the middle of center field. For hours, she would wait… and wait. If it had been daytime, she would have brought a book to read, but she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to herself with a lantern. So, as the minutes became hours, her waiting often became sleeping. But it had been a month now and the much anticipated signal still hadn’t come.

For her parents, it had become a ritual of sorts for either Koutarou or Mizue to come down to the lonely baseball field after midnight and wake Kotomi up. They would help her to collect her equipment, and bring her home. Tonight, it was Mizue’s turn to retrieve her elder daughter. Each time she made the short drive down to the park, she hoped she would see an excited girl – pointing at her screen and happy that the awaited contact had finally been made. But there hadn’t been anything encouraging yet… not even a glimmer of something to give them hope.

As she approached the field this time, she felt that something was different… and not in a good way. The sensor ball was still in the middle of center field, but Kotomi was – slumped over in the dugout. Mizue ran to her daughter with concern.

“Kotomi! Kotomi-chan, are you okay?” Mizue called out as she ran down the three steps into the dugout and over to the unresponsive girl. She took a hand and it felt too warm. She checked Kotomi’s forehead and it was hot to the touch. “Kotomi? Kotomi, can you hear me? Listen to me, I’ll get your stuff into the car, but you’ve got to wake up! I can help you but you’re too big for me to carry any more.”

With that, she took Kotomi’s bag, her tough-book, and picked up the sensor ball on her way back to the car. Then, she ran back to the dugout, but Kotomi still wouldn’t wake up. She tried to think of something to do. She could drive her car over the curb and into the park, but she wouldn’t be able to get Kotomi out of the dugout.

“Kotomi, please wake up!” Mizue begged, but there was no response. She had decided to race back to her house to get her husband when she caught just a waft of the delicious smell of baking bread. “What?”

A baker’s day starts early in the morning and if there was any luck remaining for Mizue, that smell had to be coming from the Furukawa bakery. Which meant… Akio! Deciding this would be quicker, Mizue raced through the park and… came out on the wrong side. But she knew where she was. Racing down the street, she rounded the corner to see… the shutters were still closed at the bakery.

“No.” Mizue almost gave up hope when she remembered Akio talking about his life as a baker. He would get up early and make lots of things before the store even opened. Pummeling a fist into an open hand, she raced toward the bakery with renewed determination.

 

“Akio?” Sanae called out to her husband in the back of the bakery where he was putting trays of mini-loafs into one of the large ovens.

“What are you doing up?” he called out to her while closing the oven door and checking the timer.

“There’s someone banging on the shutters and calling your name. It sounds like a woman’s voice.” Sanae told him. Their bedroom faced the street and she had been awakened by the banging and yelling.

“Oh really?” Akio asked with an impish smile.

“She sounds like she’s in trouble.” Sanae warned him.

“Oh.” his smile was gone and he grabbed his trusty baseball bat and headed for the door.

 

“AH!” Mizue cried out when the metal shutter that she had been banging on suddenly opened up and Akio was standing there in his bakers apron and wielding a baseball bat.

“Mizue-san?” Akio looked up and down the street to see if there was anyone else he needed to be concerned about.

“Please help me, Akio-san! She’s collapsed in the dugout and I can’t lift her!” Mizue pleaded.

“Oh dear!” Sanae could see how flustered Mizue was and immediately volunteered her husband, “Akio, go with her. I can watch things here until you get back.”

“But…” Akio tried to figure out how much time it would take to race into the park, fetch the unconscious Kotomi, and make it back. He was mostly worried that it might be enough time for Sanae to try to bake something. But if he moved quickly… “Right, let’s go!”

Mizue watched Akio disappear into a nearby park path as he raced away from the bakery at breakneck speed. She hurried after him, but he was far too fast. She got to a place where the path went left and right and tried to listen for Akio’s footsteps to see what direction she should go. But he was already too far away. She decided to go right and ended up on the wrong side of the baseball field. As she turned to cross the field, she saw a blur of the man carrying her daughter and running… back toward the bakery.

“Wait! I have a car!” Mizue yelled, but Akio didn’t seem to hear her. Gasping for breath, she turned around and was about to head back into the park when she decided that she just didn’t want to get lost in that park again. Instead, she headed for her car and decided that driving around the bordering streets and parking in front of the bakery would be faster than running and… getting lost again.

 

Sanae was always impressed with how fast her husband ran, and she always enjoyed watching his display of physical prowess too. He was gone into the park before she realized she was holding his prized baseball bat in her hands. She had enough time to put his bat away and check on the oven timers.

“Plenty of time.” she raced back into the house and found the medical kit. Ever since Nagisa’s earlier illnesses, she had always kept a medical kit with up to date medicines and bandages. Although, in the last several years it had been useful for her husband more often than for her daughter. Then, she opened the door to the spare room and made sure a futon was already out for use.

“Sanae!” she heard her husband’s booming voice even as the bakery’s door slammed to announce his return.

“In here, on the futon!” Sanae hollered back as she got a thick blanket ready to throw over the girl. She had just got it unfolded when Akio put the unconscious girl down on the waiting futon.

“You’ve got this?” Akio panted as he stood back up.

“Yes, go ahead.” Sanae already had a thermometer out and was checking Kotomi’s pulse.

“Thanks!” he said before he headed back down the hallway toward the bakery. He saw a car pull up outside the bakery just as he stepped through the doorway that connected the home with the business. He was about to tell whoever-it-was that the bakery wasn’t open yet, when he saw that it was Mizue. He asked her, “Where did you go?”

“I…” Mizue decided not to tell him about getting lost in the park… again. Instead, she shortened the story and replied, “I went to get the car. I can take Kotomi home.”

“And then what? Will you be able to get her from the car into the house… or up the stairs?” Akio asked.

“No…” she was about to say that her husband was at home as well, but she didn’t think he would be able to get Kotomi up the stairs either. He was a brilliant man, but he had never been all that physical. Not like Akio.

“Why don’t you let her rest here for a while. Sanae is looking after her now. I can help you with her this afternoon – after the bakery closes. Okay?” Akio offered.

“Thank you very much.” Mizue said formally. “I can see why Kotomi is so fond of your family.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Akio asked while he got another batch of loaves ready for the oven.

“In her universe, you and Sanae-san were the first parental examples she had… after we died. The two of you made a huge impact in her life.” Mizue then confessed, “I’ve actually been a bit jealous of that.”

“Jealous, of what?” Akio wondered.

“She might actually see you as more influential role models than her actual parents… than us.” Mizue left unspoken her grounds for such a belief. In Kotomi’s universe, and almost in this one… Kotomi’s parents were willing to run off on their child and leave her future to fate and chance, while Nagisa’s parents changed everything for their daughter.

“Hah! No way that can be true.” Akio laughed.

“What do you mean?” Mizue thought her reasons were pretty strong, but she hoped this big-hearted lug could convince her.

“Think about it. She didn’t just fly across an ocean to get to you. That girl built a machine to cross universes and time just to see her parents again!” Akio laughed and added, “You think that kind of thing happens every day? Now, go on in there and check on your little girl.”

“Yes… and… Thank you, Akio-san. Thank you very much!” Mizue was ecstatic. The big-lug had come through and punched a huge gaping hole in her wretched self-recriminating belief.

 

**Wednesday afternoon, June 9, 1993 – Furukawa Residence**

* * *

Kotomi woke with that weird feeling you get when you don’t recognize the room you’re in… and you can’t remember how you got there. She looked around the room and saw a dango pillow in the corner next to a chair where her mother was sleeping. _This doesn’t look like a room in our house, but if there is a dango here then this must be…_

Like a mad rush, the memories came flying back to her of the huge traumatic event that happened in this very room. Before they had rushed everyone down to the big bath and tried to keep Nagisa and Tomoya from freezing to death, this was the room where Ryou held onto Nagisa while she was dying. Kotomi didn’t feel like she was dying, but she didn’t feel too good either. She tried to say something but coughed instead and felt the scratchiness in her throat. The sound of her cough made her mother’s eyes flutter open.

“Kotomi-chan, it is good to see you awake again.” Mizue smiled as she moved over to her daughter and removed the damp cloth from her forehead.

“What happened?” Kotomi asked.

“You stayed up too late, too many times, and you got sick.” Mizue reprimanded her grown daughter while rinsing out the hand-cloth in a pot of cool water. “As a mother yourself, I would think you would have known better.”

“But, I had to…” Kotomi’s words were interrupted by a fit of coughing.

“Why, Kotomi? Why is it so important that you should risk you health?” Mizue asked.

“Today… or rather, this morning. This morning was my last chance.” Kotomi said as the tears started to spill from her eyes.

“Your last chance… for what?” Mizue asked while she replaced the cool cloth on her daughter’s forehead.

“It will have been thirty days since I came here and…” Kotomi coughed.

“Will they stop looking for you?” Mizue asked with concern.

“Probably not, but… I left instructions that if anything ever happened to me and I was lost without hope of immediate retrieval… that I was to be declared dead after thirty days.” Kotomi revealed.

“What? Why would you do such a thing?” Mizue demanded.

“That other girl that’s in all the pictures of our family.” Kotomi rasped.

“Kyou-chan?” Mizue knew the name from all the times Kotomi had mentioned her and from the numerous times she saw all three of them together in the pictures on Kotomi’s incredible computer.

“Yes. She… Kyou-chan is prepared to become the mother of my children and raise them… should the need arise.” Kotomi said proudly.

“What? Why would she… How?” Mizue was terribly confused by what she was hearing as well as the obvious pride that Kotomi had in what she was disclosing.

“I trained her for it… from the beginning. Kyou-chan went to college with us. She even breastfed the babies with me.” Kotomi said.

“She… breastfed?” a stunned Mizue wondered how Kotomi had arranged that feat, but her daughter was still talking.

“Kyou-chan has lived with our family every step of the way. She is a great teacher, and a powerful protector. Kyou-chan loves the children and… she loves Tomoya… just as much as I do.” Kotomi’s words came out between sobs even though she seemed relieved somehow.

“But why, Kotomi-san? Why would you arrange something like that?” Mizue yelled at Kotomi to get her to focus on an answer.

“Because I didn’t want my children to grow up… without a mother.” Kotomi told her.

Mizue recoiled for a moment, thinking that Kotomi’s remark was a scathing condemnation of her, but she could soon tell that Kotomi never intended any such insult.

“I missed you so much!” Kotomi sobbed as she reached out for Mizue’s hand, “I tried to be a good girl so you could come back. I looked in all the rooms. I waited and waited. I wanted to see you again so… so much! I wanted… to see you again… so much.”

Mizue was exhausted. In the last few minutes she had gone from concern to confusion to guilt to heartbreak. Now she looked down at the elder-Kotomi who had crawled out of her futon just to be able to hold her mother’s hand. Even though she was so sick, the effort had completely worn her out and she was passed out again. Mizue’s left arm was trapped in the grip of both of Kotomi’s hands, but she was able to reach out with her other hand and run her fingers through the long purple tresses.

“Oh Kotomi-chan, I do apologize for what you had to go through.” Mizue’s own tears started to fall as she imagined her little girl running from room to room in their big house. Afraid and alone.

Looking for the parents who weren’t there.

Waiting for the parents that would never come home.

Every night, crying herself to sleep in her loneliness.

 _Koutarou and I… our lives were saved because of you. My own daughter was saved from such a cruel fate because of you. I don’t know if we will ever be able to thank you enough, my dear Kotomi-san. But… does the price of our salvation have to be so high? You’ve already lost everything once in your life._ _It’s not fair..._ Mizue moved Kotomi back onto her futon, but cradled her body in close. She hugged her grown daughter tight as the tears spilled from her eyes. Mizue’s body shook from the inconsolable sadness of _this_ Kotomi’s plight. “It’s just not fair that you should have to lose everything you love all over again!”

“IT’S NOT FAIR!” Mizue screamed at the top of her lungs from the frustration, sadness, and anger that burned her to her core.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> One Million Yen : In 1993, a million yen was worth around $8,950.  That would have been enough to buy a new Honda Civic CX.
> 
> Otōsan : father
> 
> Randoseru: the traditional backpack for grade school children in Japan.
> 
> Takarakuji: Japanese lottery ticket


	11. A Glimpse of the Future

**Tuesday morning, March 1, 2011 – Aoki Grade School**

* * *

The principal of the school stood with many of the teachers up on the small stage in front of the assembled students and parents on this auspicious day. The school year had come to a close, and with it, came the official closing of the school. Which meant that all the students in the school were finishing their last year at this building, whether they had finished their grade school education or not. Sadly, that meant there was a lot of bitterness in the room. Many of the students, teachers, and parents in the room were quite upset. Some of them were prepared to jeer the principal as soon as he started talking. Others were going to hurl questions and demands to let him know of their displeasure.

However, not everyone was quite so vexed. Everyone involved in Kyou’s education program knew the truth of the closing. Aoki Grade School would close it’s doors as soon as everyone had left the building. Then, a renovation team would come in and make several modifications to the facility. The most notable change that anyone passing by would notice, would be the name change. The old signboard was to be taken down and in it’s place, a new marquee with a name that subtly indicated the difference between this place and other grade schools.

The crowd hushed as the principal approached the microphone. In reality, the room was so small that microphones and speakers were hardly needed. But on occasions when the room was filled with people, as it was today, it was helpful in getting the speaker’s words to everyone in the room. Of course, there were many in the room that didn’t plan on listening to the principal’s long winded farewell speech. For those people, they would soon be getting a pleasant surprise.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.” the principal stepped out of the way and bowed to the tall gaunt man now taking the stage from the left side.

The hush in the room continued, but the timbre of emotions changed quickly from upset and angry, to shocked and confused. Even the teachers that were up on the stage with the principal seemed surprised at the principal’s unexpected announcement.

“Good morning.” the gaunt man said in a tone normally used at funerals or memorial services. “Due to the economy and the decline in population in this region, this school was scheduled to be closed and demolished. The staff and teachers would then be free to find employment… elsewhere.”

There was an audible gasp in the room. Many had heard of rumors like this, but most had believed them to be nothing more that pessimistic gossip. Now, they were hearing it directly from the man at the very top of public education in Japan.

“However,” the minister said with a groan that made the people present think that he had agreed to this ‘however’ with reluctance and disdain. “The principal and your mayor have come up with another plan that… could show promise. Instead of closing the school in the usual way, the principal and his staff have worked tirelessly to reorganize the faculty in this school, as well as six other local schools. The results of their efforts is that this school will remain open… but only for a special program. The teaching faculty of this school will be reassigned to other schools in the area. And… nobody will lose their jobs.”

The tension in the room showed a bit of relief from the minister’s last sentence. It was true that the economy wasn’t great and nobody wanted to see any of the teachers lose their jobs.

“But there is a challenge here.” the Minister turned briefly to the principal and then back to the audience that felt their reprieve from the tension – slipping away. “This program costs money. Keeping this school open costs money. This is money that the government would like to spend elsewhere. You have two years to show results. If you can’t do that, the consequences will be the aforementioned demolition and unemployment.”

The children were too frightened to make a noise, and the adults in the audience were shocked into silence as the MEXT seemed to glare around the room. His gloomy countenance gazed once again at the other people on the stage with him. It seemed that he was waiting for someone to speak up… to challenge him in any way. But there was no-one who wanted to get the attention of the man who could bring the works of the mayor and the principal crashing down.

“Well then, that is all. Good day.” he said as he pushed away from the microphone and left the way he had entered the room.

 

Tomoya and the Secretary New Komeito were waiting in the hallway outside the filled gymnasium. They fell into step with the gaunt MEXT and for a moment, all that was heard in the long hallway was the echo’s of their footsteps on the cold tiled floor. Then, their footsteps were suddenly lost in the eruption of noise from the room the MEXT had just left. Although the doors were closed and the sound somewhat muffled, the calamitous crowd in the room could no longer be silenced. Tomoya winced as he thought of Kyou back in that room. She would probably spend the rest of the day answering questions and reassuring parents and other teachers. It was true that the MEXT had told everyone that this ‘plan’ to keep their school from the wrecking ball, had been the work of the mayor and the principal. But he didn’t think the principal would last two minutes under that barrage before he admitted to everyone that the program that everything counted on… the one that had two years to show measurable results… was Kyou’s.

“Was that really necessary?” the MEXT asked as they neared the exit to the parking lot where their ride awaited.

“Oh my, yes! Most certainly!” the Secretary beamed, “You play a most magnificent villain!”

“Has it ever occurred to you that I may not like to play the villain?” the MEXT grumbled.

“Yes, yes. I’ve heard that before. But that would be like the genius comedian who wants to play a dramatic role. As a dramatic actor, he may be passable… or even good at it. But his real genius shines through in the role to which he is best suited.” the Secretary said sagely.

“So, I am doomed to always be the villain.” the gaunt minister sighed.

“I don’t like it.” Tomoya said.

“Oh?” the Secretary turned to regard the young man who had recently joined his party. Recently… but also reluctantly.

“You do realize that whole charade was for the benefit of your wife and her… interesting education plan.” the Minister said with a raised eyebrow.

“I know. But… there should have been another way to do this without… having the Minister become the bad guy.”

“There can be no hero without a villain.” the Minister grumbled.

“That’s true!” the Secretary said cheerfully in contrast to his dour friend, “I could tell that the mood in the room would have made things difficult for both the principal and your wife. A lot of people were ready to cast them as the evildoers who were to blame for the loss of their local elementary school. But now that a more powerful opponent has shown himself, the community will pull together and be helpful with your wife’s program.”

“Really?” Tomoya asked skeptically.

“Well,” the Secretary shrugged his shoulders and admitted, “if not helpful, they will at least not get in the way.”

“You really think so?” Tomoya thought ‘apathy’ might be a much more likely outcome, but even that might be too optimistic.

“Heh… my dear boy. This is not our first dance.” the Secretary laughed as he climbed into the taxi that would take him back to the train station.

“Indeed, he has had me play the villain… innumerable times.” the Minister groaned.

“You need to stop worrying about your lovely wife’s pet project and start worrying about your own.” the Secretary cautioned.

“Eh?” Tomoya’s confusion was evident.

“The Secretary put a lot of his political will behind your mission to find the missing Kotomi-hakase. You need to show some results.” the Minister said sternly.

“Let Kyou-sensei worry about her program. She strikes me as a very competent woman who doesn’t need you fretting about.” the Secretary said in a much friendlier tone, “And pay no attention to this old horses-ass. My political clout won’t be damaged from my backing of your project even if… never-mind. Just promise me that you will do your best.”

“Yes. Of course I’ll do my best!” He wanted to blast both of them for insinuating that he wasn’t giving the project his all. _After all, Kotomi-chan is my wife… well, my first wife – and the mother of my children. How can I do anything less than my best?_

“Excellent, that is exactly what I wanted to hear. I’m looking forward to hearing great things from you!” the cheerful Secretary said as the Taxi pulled away.

 _Bastards!_ Tomoya was still fuming over the way those two just seemed to breeze into town and do whatever they liked. But he was also worried from some of the things that they had said.

_You need to show some results._

_My political clout won’t be damaged - even if… never-mind._

Tomoya knew they were in trouble. The legislative arm of the Japanese government, known as the National Diet – or just “The Diet”, had representatives from several political parties. The New Komeito Party wasn’t the most powerful. In fact, it was about the fourth most powerful in the legislative chambers. However, their party members had more powerful positions than one might expect because they were allies of the most powerful party. But that was a tenuous relationship that could not be stressed too much. Just because they were allies, didn’t mean they saw eye to eye on every issue, and there were always the other parties who would jump at the chance to drive a wedge into the alliance to break their super-majority. And unfortunately, the Secretary New Komeito’s support of this pet project was just the kind of wedge that the detractors would use.

He had come a long way since his days as a high school delinquent, but Tomoya was no political genius. Nor did he have a staff of aides to help him with anything. Even so, he could see the writing on the wall. There would come a time when the Secretary would have to drop his support of Tomoya and his project, or risk losing party members, or even the alliance that had been so favorable to his political faction. With his best estimate, Tomoya guessed that they had until the end of the year at best… unless they could do as the Minister suggested.

_You need to show some results._

“But this isn’t something that can give results… until the very end.” he asked aloud to himself. He knew what the Minister was asking for, but these expeditions weren’t like anything from the past. They couldn’t bring back moon rocks or strange artifacts from another world. So far, every place they went to was remarkably like their own. That in itself was fascinating… from a pure science perspective. But it didn’t do anything to impress the average man… or the average politician. Tomoya shook his head and bemoaned his tenuous position, “Other than the final victory of bringing Kotomi back… what other results could the program show?”

“You’ll think of something.” Youhei said from where he leaned against the open door. The taxi was long gone and the police escort with it, but he had remained.

“You might be giving me too much credit.” Tomoya gave a deflated laugh at his own pessimism.

“No.” Youhei took a step from the door and looked up at the thin clouds that were moving quickly across the sky, “You’re lucky like that. You’ll come up with a clever idea, or something will fall into your lap.”

“Thanks… I think.” Tomoya also looked up at the clouds. Amongst those far away clouds in the cold winter air, he could make out of contrail of an airplane speeding through the sky. The plane was too far up and he couldn’t see it, but he could see the long trail that seemed to arc across the sky to the horizon. It reminded him of how much Kotomi hated flying. _Kotomi… I hope you’re okay, wherever you are. I hope you got to see your parents. But mostly I hope… we can bring you home. Kotomi, please come home._

 

**Tuesday afternoon, March 1, 2011 – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Kyou was exhausted, but she knew exactly what she needed to help bring life back into her body. What she craved now was a nice long soak in the huge tub… bath… pool… thing. Kotomi had introduced Kyou to a lot of strange ideas, but this small pool sized bath was one that Kyou deeply appreciated. _Perhaps Tomoya and I could snuggle in the hot water while we…_

“Hello Kyou-senpai!” Yuki called out from the steaming water as Kyou entered the bathroom.

“How… how did you get here before me?” Kyou demanded. She was actually more disappointed that her private time with Tomoya would be lost, but she couldn't say that.

“Are you kidding? Everyone wanted to talk to you. I was able to duck out and one of Sunohara-san’s policemen gave me a ride home.” Yuki chirped.

“You brat!” Kyou glared at her junior partner and, now that she was married to Tomoya, her cousin-in-law.

“It’s not my fault that Kyou-sensei is so popular.” Yuki teased with an expression of sly innocence. Then she ducked as a shampoo bottle whizzed by her head.

“Not here! Don’t you dare call me Kyou-sensei here! “ Kyou grouched. More than anything, she didn’t want her refuge and sanctuary to be cursed with reminders of the things that were bringing her all the stress that she was here to get away from.

“Sorry, Kyou-chan!” Yuki laughed as she retrieved the bottle of shampoo and checked it to make sure it wasn't cracked anywhere.

“No… not _Kyou-chan_ either.” Kyou said in a haunted voice.

“Huh? I thought that was what you preferred.” Yuki could see the haunting sadness in Kyou’s face and knew that she was thinking about Kotomi again.

“When Tomoya and I first met, I asked him to call me Kyou… just Kyou.” She remembered when she met those two delinquents that would end up being so important in her life.

“Whoa, when you first met? You were a lot more brazen back then, huh?” Yuki teased.

“Brazen? Uh… no. I told him to call me that because he also knew my sister and, well… it could be confusing.” Kyou explained. She was aware that it normally took a long time to develop a relationship that was close enough to feel comfortable with dropping all the honorifics. _Heh, I guess I was a lot more daring in my youth. Now I'm… I'm… What am I?_

“Oh, Kyou.” Yuki said softly while wrapping her arms and legs around the lavender haired girl that was only two years her senior - but seemed so much older. “We're about the same age, but you've traveled more than me, have more education than me, you're married and have kids...”

“They are Ko...” Kyou started to object but was soundly interrupted.

“They're your kids!” Yuki demanded. “Tomoya has no problem with you being their mother. The kids have been calling you mama since they were old enough to speak. Why do you have such a problem with it?” Yuki said as she tightened her grip on the struggling woman.

“I don’t really have a problem with it.” Kyou said as the struggle left her. Her body relaxed into the grip of Yuki's long arms and legs and she unexpectedly felt a comfort from being held so tightly. “It just feels like I would be giving up on Kotomi if I…”

“So are you saying that Tomoya gave up on her, or that the kids gave up on their mother?” Yuki pressed.

“No. I know they all love her still. It's just…” Kyou was now holding onto the strong arms that were wrapped around her chest. She let the tears run down her cheeks into the bath's hot water. “It's just me. I want to make Tomoya and the kids happy. I really do! But, I don't want to give up on Kotomi. Some day she’ll be back… I’m sure of it. And when she does get back, I don’t want her to come back to a place where she has lost everything. I can’t just take it all away from her like that. I don't want to… to…”

“It sounds like you thought about this a lot. But… somewhere along the way, I think you got it wrong.” Yuki said softly while relaxing her grip.

“What do you mean?” Kyou looked to the side but didn't turn her head. She could see just a bit of Yuki's brown hair that had escaped from being tied up.

“I don't think Kotomi ever thought of Tomoya or the kids as just hers. She was the sweet kid in the playground who shared her toys and didn't understand when other kids didn't want to.” Yuki said.

“So, you're saying that Kotomi saw Tomoya and the kids as nothing more than toys for her to share with me?” Kyou huffed.

“Oh no!” Yuki laughed and released Kyou so she could spin her around and they could face each other in the hot water as she said, “You were a toy too! She shared you with the kids.”

“Hmpf.” Kyou would like to have objected, but there was a ring of truth to what Yuki was saying.

“And…” Yuki’s voice suddenly sounded very lewd as she asked, “she shared you with Tomoya… didn't she?”

“Yuki! You brat!” Kyou splashed water into the face of the leering girl as she blushed. But she had to cover her face since the laughing Yuki wasn't at all afraid to splash water back.

 

Just outside the door to the bath area, Tomoya leaned against the wall and smiled. The sounds of laughter and squeals coming from the two women having a water fight in the bath had raised his spirits. His cousin's helpful words to Kyou might be able to reach her in ways that he hadn't. _Thank you, Yuki… for looking after Kyou and caring for her. I hadn't expected this. Perhaps… perhaps Youhei was right. Maybe I am lucky after all._

 

**Tuesday late evening, March 1, 2011 – The park across the street from the Furukawa Bakery**

* * *

Tomoyo bent over the laptop and confirmed her suspicion with the vivid image on the screen. Tomoya and Kyou were holding hands. They weren't doing it in any kind of flashy way. In fact, they were doing their best to hide the fact that they were making any physical contact at all. They held each others hands under the table and out of sight of everyone else in the pergola. But their attempt at secrecy was no match for Ryota and his toys.

The couple had tried to act casual but Tomoyo and her boys were very good at picking up signs of nervousness. The couple had suspected nothing as Ryota placed one of the sensor balls in the chair on the other side of the table from the two of them, and then opened his laptop at another table a few meters away. He ran the sensor ball through the camera test until he found the one that had a bird's eye shot at Tomoya and Kyou’s bodies below the table. There would be no whooping or cheering at a panty shot though. It was still winter time and Kyou had dressed appropriately for the cold. However, the picture did give Ryota an idea.

“Excuse me. I'm trying to calibrate the camera's in this sensor ball.” Ryota said as he placed another ball on the top of the table and asked Tomoya and Kyou, “Could the two of you sit still for a few moments until I'm finished?”

“Uh, sure.” Tomoya looked at the soccer ball sized sensor package and wondered why this was so fascinating for the rest of them. Indeed, the whole team – even Tomoyo, was gathered around Ryota as he manipulated the images on his laptop.

“This reminds me of those photo booths in the malls.” Kyou commented.

“Yeah, I guess.” Tomoya didn't want to admit that he had never been to one. It hadn't been something that had interested Kotomi, and he had never had a strong desire for those cheap pictures either. Although… he had heard that some of them were able to do some pretty amazing things with special effects. Tomoya came out of his musings when he heard one of the boys whistle through his teeth in appreciation of Ryota’s handiwork.

“Oooh, I think you got it!” Mikio told Ryota and Iwao gave him a firm pat on the back.

“Would you like to see?” Tomoyo asked the innocent acting pair.

“Sure.” Tomoya answered and Kyou nodded. Then both of them were aghast when the screen was turned to them so they could see what Ryota had been working on.

A composite picture of their lower half from the camera in the chair was mated to the picture of their upper half from the camera on the table. Only a small part of their middle sections were missing – where the table hid them from both cameras. Also, the top half picture was brighter than the bottom half picture. But still, the shadows under the table were not nearly enough to hide the most interesting feature of the combined shot. Tomoya's right hand was entwined with Kyou's left hand in the way that lovers hold onto each other.

“Ah!” Kyou gasped and started to jerk her hand away. She stopped when she realized that Tomoya was holding onto her even tighter. Kyou could have broken his grasp if she really wanted to… but she decided that she didn't really want to. Instead, she blushed as she asked, “Why?”

“I could tell you that Kenta has been teaching me how to play pranks.” Tomoyo said evenly, “It would make you pout and it would be a lie, but the truth might be more difficult for you.”

“Tomoyo,” Tomoya sighed, “the face saving offer only works if you don't tell the person you are doing it for.”

“But she would figure it out. She is quite intuitive about other people, even if she is a bit dim at figuring out her own feelings.” Tomoyo replied to Tomoya.

“That's harsh.” Tomoya responded.

“It may be. But it is also accurate, is it not?” Tomoyo insisted.

“I… can't argue with that.” Tomoya replied with a thoughtful frown.

“I'm right here.” Kyou snarled at the two having an uncomfortable conversation about her. Facing the powerful platinum blond she demanded, “Tell me the truth.”

“Kyou, you have been worrying your family and your friends. Every day, we would watch you – hopeful for a sign that you might be getting better. There have been a few positive things here and there over the last few months, but this… this is the first time we have seen something that gives us so much hope. Truly, this is a picture that will put your friends and family at ease.” Tomoyo told the gaping Kyou plainly.

“What?” Kyou was finally able to respond after taking a gasping breath, “You're not going to show that to anyone else are you?”

“I have already sent it to an email distribution. But only your parents, your sister, and all your friends are on that distribution list. No-one else needs to see it I suppose.” Tomoyo admitted.

“Ah! Nooo!” Kyou panicked.

“I don't understand. Do the people that care about you the most, not deserve to see the first strong sign of your recovery?” Tomoyo asked with infuriating logic.

“Tomoya, say something!” Kyou appealed to her husband.

“I would like a copy.” Tomoya told Tomoyo.

“Of course.” Tomoyo agreed.

“Tomoyaaaaaaaaaaa!” Kyou shouted loud enough that many of the technicians working in the park wondered what was going on in the survey team's pergola.

 

Kenta would be leading the group this time. Iwao, Takeo, and Takeshi would be with him on this first mission after they got the help of the other-universe Kotomi from the previous exploration. The _other_ Kotomi had helped them to reduce the the overall number of potential worlds to search. But, more importantly, her insights helped Kobayashi-hakase and Professor Melissa to work up several tests to help them better understand the meanings of the wave-forms that represented each potential pathway to another parallel universe. The mission that Kenta was about to lead his friends on would be one of those tests. They knew from the start that the wave-form that had been selected for this mission would _not_ be the one to send them back to the right universe to find their Kotomi. However, a report of what they found there would help to refine the search and selection algorithms - and _that_ was a much more useful venture than just guessing wildly.

Kobayashi-hakase had explained that this world should be very close to their own. Time-wise, this world should be within six months of their own time. Other factors suggested that it was eighty percent likely to be a Nagisa reality. Of course, if those predictions were wrong, that would tell them something too. Each member of the team was told to pay attention to every little detail since it was the details that would help the scientists to tweak the formulas. And it would be those refined formulas that would help them find the universe where Kotomi had gone… and eventually get them there so they could bring back their Kotomi.

Although he understood the importance of this mission, being instructed to maintain vigilant observation didn’t go down well with Kenta’s usually carefree approach to life. Instead of fighting it, he decided to make a game of it. He wondered if he could pull off being observant while maintaining his cheerful rogue demeanor. Even now, he was trying to maintain an aloof appearance by casually looking up at the clouds and letting the gentle wind blow through his hair, while paying attention to everything around him through his peripheral vision and his other senses. One thing that was easy to hear were the first reports from the sensor ball.

The time code came back with August 14, 2011 at roughly two in the afternoon. Audio was picking up someone speaking. The words were indistinct and seemed to be coming from a loud speaker some distance away. Fortunately, the cameras didn’t show anyone near by.

“Ugh, its ahmos thirty-five there!” Iwao groaned. The tech guy had just announced that it was sunny and 34.7 Celsius in the other world.

“That sounds about right for August” Kenta nodded.

“Let's go somewhere else. A place where it ain't so hot.” Iwao groaned.

“Ya got a problem with it bein hot?” Takeshi needled. He was picking on Iwao’s reputation as a ‘tough guy.’ But Iwao didn’t bite.

“Ah likes tha heavier clothes. They feels safer somehow.” Iwao admitted.

“That's because they are.” Ryota chimed in on one of the things he knew something about. “The jackets are made with Twaron!”

“Huh?” Takeo looked askance at his nerd friend.

“Twaron is a synthetic aramid…” one of the technicians attempted to explain but realized he was just confusing them more. Trying again he said, “It's like Kevlar. The stuff they make body armor out of.”

“Hey, no shit?” Takeshi looked at his jacket with a bit more admiration than before. “Now I kinda wanna go to a cold place too.”

“One minute.” the voice in their ears told them.

“Hey, who knows… maybe the park will be filled with pretty girls in swimsuits, huh? It is summer time there, ya know.” Mikio tried to cheer them up as he watched four of his friends walk to the transit point in center field.

“Yeah, whatever.” Iwao grouched. Like the others, he kept his jacket on as the countdown started, but had it unlatched and was ready to throw it back toward the waiting area before the numbers got down to zero.

Mikio and Ryota stood with the others at the safety ropes, as the numbers counted down. After watching their friends disappear into the stream of light baubles, they went around picking up the discarded gloves, hats, and jackets that wouldn’t be needed in a warmer climate.

Tomoyo squeezed Isamu's hand as she shuddered. She didn't hate this as much as she used to but… she still thought it was unnecessarily dangerous. Regardless of her own misgivings, she couldn't deny the fact that all of the boys were willing… no, they were eager to go on every mission. Taking a deep breath, she shook off the usual dour mood that this event always put her in, and faced Tomoya and Kyou. For now she needed to talk to her friends… as friends.

“Are you two really going to wait around until they get back? We can take care of this, you know. You should take your kids on that vacation.” Tomoyo said to Tomoya and Kyou.

“It's okay. I still have to go in to the school for the next couple of days.” Kyou said with a tired smile. It had been a long day for her and she was looking forward to the Okinawa trip they had planned to take between the end of this school year and the start of the next one.

“But… I thought school was out now?” Isamu asked.

“It is… for the kids. The teachers still have a few responsibilities.” Kyou sounded as if she were pleading for sympathy, but she wouldn't get it from Tomoyo. The city worker got precious few days off, so Kyou's profession that had a built in summer, winter, and spring break… inspired envy more than anything else.

“I see.” Tomoyo realized that her concerns were useless then. She had wished that Tomoya and Kyou could go somewhere by themselves. But it seemed like Kyou had made a turning point in her relationship with the children as well. Nothing seemed to be holding her back any more on that front, and that was a good thing too.

“Well then, I guess we’ll see you guys here tomorrow night when they come back.” Isamu said as he gave Tomoyo’s hand a little squeeze.

“I guess so.” Tomoya waved as he turned to start their walk towards home, “See you then.” Like Isamu, he hadn’t let go of his girl’s hand either.

 

Kyou was conscious of her hand more than anything else in the world. Ever since they had left the park, Tomoya had taken her hand and he wasn't letting go. Not that she disliked it, but it was a bit embarrassing. She considered saying something about it several times, but each time she lost her will when she looked up at his face. His countenance was stern, or perhaps thoughtful and serious. Either way, it didn't have the careless look from the past, or the happy-go-lucky look she wanted to see now. Tomoya didn't look like he was in the mood to talk about something so frivolous as holding hands… or of letting go.

 _Letting go. Letting go? What am I thinking? I don't want Tomoya to let go of me! Do I? But… if he doesn't feel the same way…_ _No, no! What am I thinking? I’m past these kind of fears… aren’t I?_ Kyou's thoughts weren't doing much for her tranquility. In fact, she was feeling more panicky and nervous with each passing moment. _WHY! Why do I always start thinking stupid things like this. I’m so done with this… aren’t I? I’ve come to grips with the fact that I love Tomoya too and… I know that he really loves me. But… he really loves Kotomi too. So… w_ _hat if I'm just a placeholder to him? Nothing more than someone to keep him company and keep the kids happy until Kotomi gets back?_ _Is that how he feels? Is holding hands the best he can do? After all, there's nothing permanent about holding hands, is there? If… when Kotomi gets back… he'll let go if my hand and take hers again. It'll be easy. No complications… no reasons we can't just go back to the way…_

“Kyou-chan.” Tomoya said thoughtfully.

“WHAT!” Kyou shouted. She couldn't help it. She had spent the last several minutes working herself into a panic and Tomoya's voice had startled her.

“Hey! Are you okay?” Tomoya noticed only now that Kyou was… a bit agitated.

“Sorry! I just… you startled me.” she felt a stab in her gut as she reacted defensively and blamed him for her outburst. Clenching her teeth in frustration, she took a deep breath, tried to relax a little, then asked, “Did you need something?”

“I just wanted your opinion.” Tomoya waited until Kyou seemed a bit more calm and asked her, “Do you think we have too many kids?”

“Huh? Where did that come from?” Kyou looked at Tomoya's face to see if he was trying to be funny, but he seemed quite serious.

“We have three kids already and that is already beyond the current Japanese norm. But…” Tomoya frowned in thought.

“But? But what?” Kyou pressed.

“I was talking to your sister and she says it is time for you and me.” Tomoya told her, “In fact, she was pretty insistent about it.”

“My sister?” Kyou demanded. Her natural reaction to become defensive about her sister subsided when she realized that she didn’t understand what it was that Tomoya and her sister had been discussing. “Time for what?”

“Jeez, I thought I was supposed to be the dense one.” Tomoya laughed and said, “You know, about kids.”

“What about the kids? Is there something she wants me to do with the kids?” Kyou was starting to get angry with Tomoya for calling her dense, and for being so ambiguous. She thought that was pretty strange too – he wasn't usually so vague. But she had pushed hard enough and his evasiveness came to an abrupt end when he stopped walking and put his hands on her shoulders.

“She wants me to fill you full of baby-makers, knock you up, get you with child, make you pregnant. Have you got it now?” Tomoya asked as he stared into her shocked purple eyes.

“Hah! Baka! Tomoya, you can't say something like that so suddenly!” Kyou's face blushed deeply, but she didn't pull away from him.

“Suddenly? Kyou, we've been legally married for three months now.” Tomoya countered dryly.

“I know. I just...” Kyou hung her head. She knew that the reluctance was all in her mind. Tomoya and Kotomi had accepted her a long, long time ago and it wasn't that she couldn't accept them. Kyou had already come to grips with the fact that she loved them both dearly. No, the problem was that she couldn't accept herself as a substitute for Kotomi. With her eyes closed in shame, she admitted to what she hoped was the last brick in the wall that had kept her from being able to fully embrace the role of Tomoya’s wife, “I just can't replace her. I can't replace Kotomi.”

“Of course you can't.” Tomoya said.

Kyou's head snapped up in surprise. She had expected him to lie and tell her…

“I don't think Kotomi ever wanted you to replace her.” Tomoya smiled, “She didn't keep you in the back – waiting to step in when needed. Think about it, Kyou. You were always there.”

“What?” Kyou fell into his chest when he pulled her in for a hug. She wanted… needed the warm feel of his body close to hers now. But she was still lost in confusion with what he was telling her.

“From the beginning, you were always by Kotomi's side – never behind her. We moved in and lived together. We went off to school together. We raised a family together.” Tomoya pulled the head of purple hair into his shoulder as he told her, “Those kids didn't start calling you mama after Kotomi went missing – they've been calling you mama since they could say the word. You never did step in to replace anyone – you were already in this family from the beginning. The only thing that ceremony in December did was put your name on the paper officially.”

“Oh.” Kyou moaned as the tears came. She hid her face in his collar, under his neck, as the tears and sobs came. The walls had been breached. Her armor was rent and useless. Without any remaining protection, her feelings were completely exposed now. The salty tears washed away the last vestiges of the guilt, pride, shame, and other stumbling blocks that had stood in her way. Through choked sobs she warned Tomoya, “I’m not going to hold back any more.”

“Good.” Tomoya said as he held her firmly in his arms.

“I’m going to give you everything I’ve got… so you better be ready.” Kyou had intended the words to sound like a threat, but they came out more like a promise.

“From you Kyou… I would expect nothing less.” Tomoya teased as he caressed his fingers through her long lavender hair.

_I won’t hold anything back any more. I’ll give everything I have until the end… when Kotomi comes back. Everything…_

 

**Wednesday noon, March 2, 2011 – Furukawa Residence**

* * *

Akio had become used to his house hosting several guests on the days of the experiments in the park. Some times it was annoying when they all showed up, but he mostly didn’t mind and it made Sanae happy to have guests over. It brought a welcome smile to his wife’s face and that was worth a little annoyance.

The research group had set up several pergolas across the street, but there was a core group that would rather spend the waiting time with their friends and in a more comfortable environment. In this case, it meant that Tomoyo and a couple of her boys were in the living room with Sanae. Youhei and Ryou were also there, but Nagisa was in Tokyo at an audition.

Ryou had always missed Nagisa terribly when she was away for her acting career, but this time Ryou had someone special to keep her company. This special someone was small and cute and currently sitting in Ryou’s lap.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go over to the Ichinose house and play with the others?” Ryou asked little Ushio.

“I’ll see them tomorrow. Can’t I stay with you today, Ryou-mama?” Ushio pleaded.

“Of course you can!” Ryou wrapped the little girl in a warm hug.

Tomoyo and Isamu were sitting close to each other, across the kotatsu from Ryou and Ushio. There wasn’t a conversation between them though. Isamu was asleep with his legs being comfortably warmed under the kotatsu, while Tomoyo was holding him close and watching him sleep. Youhei was over at the dining table with Sanae and Mikio. Ryota had stayed in the park to talk to the technicians.

“He’s really turning into one of them, isn’t he?” Youhei commented about the missing expedition team member.

“What’s up officer? Keeping track of where we all are?” Mikio picked.

“You’re not being nice.” Youhei raised an eyebrow and told the tough, while he made a gentle nod toward Sanae.

“Oh yeah. Sorry. Sorry Sanae-san. I dint have a lot of good memories wit cops, so sometimes…” Mikio started to explain.

“Your grammar is slipping too.” Sanae, ever the school teacher, called him out on his manner of speaking. Concerned, she asked, “Mikio, are you worried about something?”

“Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be but…” Mikio looked down into the almost empty tea cup and twisted his mouth up trying to think of the right way to tell them how he was feeling.

“You’re worried about your friends.” Sanae said softly.

“Yeah.” the former thug admitted.

“But why? You guys have done this lots of times now, right?” Youhei asked.

“It’s the future. Dere ain’t…” Mikio stopped and looked at Sanae to see if he was going to be scolded. He saw only compassion from her but he decided to try for better grammar anyway. “There is just no way to prepare for it. With the places we go, sometimes the people may be doing things a little differently than what theys… they is… they are doing here. But the rest of the world is still something we can get. Ya know?”

Youhei and Sanae could see that he was truly worried. Neither of them had thought about the difference between going to a world that was in the past and going to one in the future. Both of them posed risks that they might run into danger or give themselves away somehow. Of course, they had revealed their identities to at least one person on just about every trip so far, so the whole secrecy thing was seemingly not as important. And yet… the idea of going into the future did present them with even more unknowns.

“Mikio-san, I have faith in your friends,” Sanae told the tough. When he looked up at her, she added, “I have faith in you too.”

“You do?” Mikio wondered how he had ever come to deserve such praise in her eyes, “Why?”

“From my perspective, you boys have performed an incredible miracle.” Sanae gestured over at where Ryou was holding a now sleeping child in her lap and told him, “You brought me a grandchild.”

Mikio felt a flush of warmth from the gratitude and appreciation coming from Sanae. He was trying to think of the best way to thank her for her kindness when he heard something that made all the blood drain out of his face. He wasn’t the only one though. Tomoyo and Isamu had sprung up from the floor so quickly that they had almost knocked the Kotatsu over on Ryou and little Ushio. Youhei was on his feet too. They were all reacting to the audio message playing out in the earbuds they wore whenever there was an ongoing mission. It wasn’t the first time they had ever heard this automated message, but the last time had certainly impressed upon all of them just how unpredictable these missions could be.

“EMERGENCY. An emergency recall request has been made by the survey team. EMERGENCY.”

 

**Wednesday noon, March 2, 2011 – Aoki Academy**

* * *

At the elementary school, Yuki was reluctantly helping Kyou move into her new office. She didn't mind the 'helping' part, but losing Kyou to an office on the other side of the campus… she didn't like that at all. But that decision was out of her hands.

The principal had asked Kyou to move into the office previously occupied by the assistant principal some time ago, but she hadn’t wanted to upset anyone during the school year. Now that the graduation ceremony was over, and the school was officially reorganized under the new education program, it was time to acquiesce to his request.

“Well, this is going to be inconvenient.” Yuki grouched while she put down the box in the corner of the room.

“Oh, why is that?” Kyou asked.

“Your classroom is all the way on the other side of the school. Are you ever going to find time to be in this room?” Yuki looked around at the largish office and wondered if Kyou might make more use of it as a storage room.

“Yuki, regarding that… there is something I need to tell you.” Kyou bit her lip a little from the nervousness of getting to another thing she had been putting off for far too long. She still wasn't too sure how Yuki was going to react to changes. Yuki had been happy teaching with her, in their secluded part of the school, during the past school year. But that would change now… in several ways.

“Hmm?” Yuki glanced over at her senpai.

“A couple of things really.” Kyou rushed into the first order of business while she still had her courage, “I need you to move all of our stuff out of the classrooms we were using and into the classrooms in the main hall.”

“Huh, why?” Yuki wanted to object to this sudden move. She would argue that the building they had been using had the character of an old school house – which provided a stimulating learning environment for the children. But the truth was that the old building was a lot like the old rural school she had attended in Hokkaido, and... she felt comfortable there.

“The old building was condemned some time ago. It was supposed to already have been torn down. They put that off while we were using it but, now that we have the whole school to use for the project...” Kyou could see the disappointment in Yuki’s face but there wasn’t anything she could do. The old building probably could be saved, but there was no need to spend the money on it when they had the use of the newer building.

“I get it.” Yuki sighed, “I guess you’re never too young to reminisce about the past.”

“Yeah.” Kyou felt a huge relief, and thanked her luck that Yuki was so easy going. She knew how much her co-worker, friend, and in-law liked the old building and really hadn’t wanted to be the one to tell her about the building’s imminent demise.

“So, what was the other thing?” Yuki asked.

“Huh?” Kyou was startled out of her moment of relief by Yuki’s question.

“You said there were a couple of things...” Yuki prompted.

“Oh yeah… starting this coming school year, you will be handling the Kindergarten and first year students.” Kyou told her.

“So, we’ll be breaking up the one big class model.” Yuki had rather liked having all the grades in one classroom but it didn’t make sense when the classes started getting bigger. And… she had seen the projections for the student population for the coming year. Even if they were significantly off, there was no way they would be able to put all those kids in one room any more.

“That’s right. I’ll miss it too, but…” Kyou was struggling to justify this to her friend but once again, Yuki came to her rescue.

“It has to be done. I understand. But… with you and me teaching the young ones, who are you going to assign to the older kids?” Yuki asked.

“I… I won’t be in the same classroom with you any more.” Kyou said nervously.

“What? But… I don’t want to work under anyone else.” Yuki complained this time. All the changes had finally become too much for her.

“You won’t be. I promise.” Kyou said quickly.

“You mean… I’ll be doing this alone?” Yuki didn’t like that idea either. She and Kyou had proved how effective the multi-teacher model was, and she didn’t want to give that up.

“No, you won’t be alone.” Kyou took a deep breath and told her, “You will have two teachers working with you. You will be training them.”

“Waitaminit… I’ll… I’ll be _their_ senpai?” Yuki asked in wonder.

“That’s right.” Kyou watched as Yuki’s demeanor went from resistance to something wondrous. Then she told the starstruck girl, “But, they won’t be calling you ‘senpai’ you know.”

“Huh? Why not?” Yuki felt as if someone was taking away a dream they had dangled in front of her - only to tease her.

“You will be the principal teacher for the class. So, they will be calling you ‘sensei’ from now on.” Kyou watched as the happiness came flooding back to the tall girl.

“Sensei?” Yuki basked in the anticipation of the first time hearing someone call her that. She tried out the other possibilities, “Yuki-sensei… Okazaki-sensei… Oh Kyou, I think I like this!”

“I can tell.” Kyou replied while struggling to restrain a laugh. She was very relieved that Yuki had taken the changes so well and was about to playfully pout about not feeling needed, when her phone buzzed to let her know that she had a message from Tomoya.

_Exploration team requested emergency recall. I’m heading to the park now._

“What…” Yuki was about to ask about the message when she got one of her own. She remembered not too long ago when a message had gone out to both of them like this but Kyou had been asked to go to the park. Just in case it turned out to be something like that again, she asked, “Does he want you to go there this time?”

“No… not this time.” Kyou was scared that she might be asked to do something like that again. Going to the other universe to meet herself had been an enlightening, yet terrifying experience. _So why? Why do I feel so disappointed that they didn’t call me in?_

“I hope they’re all okay.” Yuki murmured while reading the brief message again.

“Yeah… me too.” Kyou looked out the windows of her office in the direction of the Furukawa bakery and wondered what could have gone wrong.

 

**Thursday morning, March 3, 2011 – Ichinose Residence**

* * *

Sugisaka answered the door to see two familiar faces. “Welcome Fujibayashi-sama and Okazaki-sama.”

“Please Sugisaka, we knew each other in high school. You can call us Ryou and Ushio.” Ryou said while handing over a large covered basket so she could get to removing her coat and shoes. It felt odd having her old kohai call her by such formal honorifics like that. It also seemed odd seeing Sugisaka in a classic black and white maid outfit.

“It wouldn't be appropriate for me to be so casual with guests to the household while I am working.” Sugisaka then asked, “Is Furukawa-sama not coming?”

“Nagisa is still away for her audition, but she should be back later today.” Ryou could hear a flurry of activity from down the hall and asked, “Are the children all ready?”

“Yes. Also, Yoshino-sama and Sunohara-sama will be joining us with the children.” Sugisaka reported.

“Oh? Where are we all going?” Ryou hadn't known about Kouko and her children joining in the little outing, but they were all good friends and all the children played well with Ushio, so it should be okay.

“We…? Fujibayashi-sama, did you not know that you are to remain here?” Sugisaka asked.

“Huh?” Ryou didn't recall that being discussed. She had planned on spending the day watching her adopted daughter laugh and play with her friends.

“Ah! Ryou, I'm so glad you're here.” Kyou called out to her from down the hall. Then her face fell when she got a look at her sister, “What… what are you wearing?”

“Well… I thought I was going to spend the day keeping up with a bunch of children! What's going on?” Ryou started to take a step toward her older sister, but felt a hand still grasping hers. Kneeling and facing Ushio, she told the little girl, “I'm sorry but it looks like I am not going to be able to join you today. Will you be okay with Sugisaka and the other kids for a while?”

“Yes.” Ushio replied with a smile, but Ryou noticed that it wasn't her usually exuberant 'Yup!' this time.

“You're such a good girl!” Ryou hugged Ushio before handing her over to Sugisaka and running off to her sister.

“Is Obasan Kyou mad?” Ushio asked the lady in the pretty black and white outfit with all the lace.

“No. She's just a little nervous. She will be okay.” Sugisaka replied while trying desperately to keep from laughing.

“Did I say something funny?” Ushio asked innocently.

“No no.” Sugisaka covered her mouth but couldn't help but tell the girl, “You can call her Obasan Kyou any time you like.”

 

Over the next hour, the house had a few more arrivals. Kyou had her sister put on one of her dresses so that she better matched the more formal attire that everyone else was wearing. Koumura had offered to go off with the children, but Tomoya asked him to stay. Youhei was wearing a suit – a nicer one than what a detective normally wore. Tomoyo and all of her boys were there as well, although none of them looked particularly comfortable in their suits. The last arrivals had been the chief of police and the mayor. Neither of them knew why they had been called, but both vowed to be there when they heard who was coming.

_Ding-dong!_

“They're here.” Kyou gasped. There was silence as Koumura opened the door for the distinguished guests.

The Secretary New Komeito was as exuberant as always. Being asked to visit on a moment's notice didn't seem to have phased him in the least. Not so, his friend and constant companion. The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology wore his usual scowl. But this time, he wasn't the only one that seemed in a dour mood.

“Ah Tomoya, my lad. It's always a thrill to see you and your lovely wife!” The Secretary led right into the introductions, “I was able to get all the people you asked for and don't worry about their grumpy faces. They're all just as happy to be here as I am, I assure you.”

“That's… good.” Tomoya didn't know how to take the cheerful sounding words of the Secretary in contrast to the glares from the important men whose taxing schedules he had interrupted.

“This is the Secretary of … well it's that other party in the Diet that mine is closely aligned with.” the Secretary New Komeito winked.

The indicated man said nothing but bowed stiffly. Tomoya returned his bow and was about to apologize for dragging him out from Tokyo – but the next introduction had begun.

“This gentleman is the director of safety for all the nuclear power-plants in Japan.” The Secretary indicated the next man and waited for the bowing to finish before ending with a frumpy looking man that seemed as ill at ease in his fancy suit as Tomoyo's boys. “This gentleman is the chief geologist for Japan Rail.”

“Thank you… all of you for coming on such short notice.” Tomoya said sincerely.

“I have to admit, I thought you were going to announce that you had successfully recovered our missing scientist, but when you gave me this guest list… it does sound very mysterious!” the Secretary New Komeito prompted.

“Yes, I'm sorry about that. But, I believe these are the right people to do something to avoid a terrible disaster.” Tomoya told them.

“Oh no… you're not another nuclear power protester, are you?” the safety specialist covered his forehead with his hand as if to ward off a building headache.

“I'm not… but there will be a disaster at a nuclear power-plant.” Tomoya replied.

“This is a waste of time. I'm out of here.” the man turned to leave but the other party secretary spoke up.

“Perhaps you'd better explain why you think there will be a disaster. Are you plotting something?” the man asked suspiciously.

“Sabotage?” the safety inspector stepped back into the room and glared at Tomoya.

“Now just a minute!” Youhei started to take a step toward the accusers, but the chief of police put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. Youhei ground his teeth and glared back at the two men.

Neither of the men thought much of a physical threat from the short detective, but then their eyes caught the bulky men in the back of the room, the platinum blond that looked at them coldly as if they were meat about to be processed, and finally at the tall lavender haired woman whose eyes seemed to be glowing a dull red.

“Ridiculous.” the MEXT grunted in derision, “Okazaki Tomoya would never be a saboteur. His dossier was made available to you before we left Tokyo. If you didn't bother to read it, try not to say anything foolish now.”

“Just take a deep breath, and tell them what you need to tell them.” The Secretary said quietly to Tomoya.

“Right.” Tomoya took the breath and faced his guests. He knew that what he had to say would be unbelievable. He only hoped that the preponderance of evidence would make them listen. “A little after 2:45 in the afternoon, on the 11th of March, there will be a magnitude nine earthquake off the coast of Sendai. It will spawn a tsunami that will cause devastation from Kashima to Hachinohe. Loss of life will be over ten thousand people. And the wave will hit the Fukushima power-plant, completely overwhelming the barricades there, flooding the backup diesel generators, and causing a meltdown incident that will rival Chernobyl.”

There was quiet in the room as the guests tried to process what they had been told.

“Preposterous!” the nuclear safety specialist spoke first. “We have adequate safeguards in place and… how can you possibly know this? Are you some kind of fortune teller?”

“Your safeguards wouldn't help against a tsunami from a magnitude 9 earthquake.” the frumpy geologist said while rubbing his chin. “Do you have any details about the earthquake?”

“Takeshi?” Tomoya asked without turning around.

“The Tohoku earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan.” Takeshi read from a folded up document he had in his hands, “The mega...thrust earthquake epi...center was seventy kilometers east of the Oshika Pen...in...sula at an underwater depth of twenty-nine kilometers.”

Kyou was stunned. She knew that Sanae had been working on reading and diction skills with the former thugs, but she was amazed that he had done as well as he had.

“Even if that were true, an earthquake that far away shouldn't have been able to cause a nuclear accident.” the safety specialist demanded.

“It wasn't the earthquake, was it?” the geologist looked like he was concentrating on everything he had heard. Then his eyes opened and he said, “A megathrust earthquake with that magnitude… at sea. It wasn't the earthquake that killed people and caused the accident. It was the tsunami, wasn't it?”

“Kenta.” Tomoya called out.

This time it was Kenta's turn to step forward and read.

“The tsunami swept through the north of Honshu, killing over ten thousand people. Over a hundred thousand buildings are considered to be totally collapsed with twice that many partially collapsed. The flood waters caused three level 7 meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Over a hundred thousand residents had to be evacuated from their homes.” Kenta almost smiled from his success at reading the whole thing without a single mistake – but remembered just what it was that he was reading and the haunted faces of all the people he had seen in that other universe.

“Had… recorded… caused.” the other party Secretary asked, “Why does it sound like you are reading about something that has already happened, when the eleventh of March is still eight days away?”

“I…” Tomoya would try to answer this to the best of his ability, but this was the kind of thing that he wished Kotomi was here for… or even Kobayashi-hakase. But he was on a flight back from Europe and wouldn't be available for another four hours.

“I can help with that!” a woman's voice came from a cell phone in Takeo's hand.

“Who is that?” the MEXT asked with a raised eyebrow. He noticed that her Japanese seemed a bit stilted and suspected that she was a foreigner.

“Hello, I am Professor Melissa Rothchilde. I was a protégé of Okazaki Kotomi at Marsh University and I have been working with Kobayashi-hakase on the project to rescue her.” Melissa called out from over Takeo's phone, “To put it in the simplest terms: we sent a team to a parallel world that is extremely like our own. They arrived in this parallel world at a date that is a little bit into our future. Now, you may think that this happened in another world, but that doesn't mean it will happen in ours. I ran the numbers on that. There is less than a one thousandth of one percent chance that our two worlds are diverged enough that tectonic activity would be affected.”

“This is all so… incredible.” the other party Secretary looked shaken, “Do you have any corroborating evidence to prove any of this?”

“We have newspapers, a recording of the live news event as it unfolded, and later news programs that discuss the nuclear tragedy.” Tomoya told them.

“What… what do you want from us?” the safety specialist looked at Tomoya as if this natural disaster was all his fault.

“Okazaki-san doesn't want anything from you.” Secretary New Komeito laughed.

“Dolt!” the MEXT was much more abrasive in his lecturing, “Can't you see that he is giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity to make right something that could go terribly wrong?”

“I would like to see these… video's you say you have… please.” the other party Secretary asked.

“Of course. If you'll all take a seat in the living room, we have the video ready for you now.” Kyou smiled politely as she gestured to the comfortable seating. Her smile became a little feral when she though of how that cockroach from nuclear safety would squirm as he watched news reports that put his ineptness on display. The degree of his failure escalating as the situation seemed to get worse with each passing day's broadcast.

 

As each of the guests took their seats, they found that a plastic bag had been placed within reach. A few of them wondered about this odd custom for a while… but their curiosity was answered. Just as Kyou had predicted, the safety specialist did not fare well as he watched the unfolding disaster. He was the first to use the plastic bag when he could no longer hold onto the contents of his stomach. But, he wasn't the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> **Kotatsu** : a modern Kotatsu is a low table, covered by a heavy blanket, and heated underneath by an electric heater mounted on the bottom of the table.
> 
>  **Nagisa reality – Nagisa universe – Nagisa world** : any of the parallel worlds / universes where Nagisa ends up with Tomoya. Any Nagisa reality is a potential source for another Ushio, and any Ushio is a potential source for another nexus of gateway connections to other parallel worlds.
> 
>  **Ob** **a** **san** : can mean 'Aunt' but can also mean 'middle-aged lady'


	12. Tohoku 2011

**Wednesday afternoon, March 9, 2011 – Ichinose residence**

* * *

It would have been nice if the government had wholeheartedly believed everything that Tomoya and the others had revealed. Fortunately, the special committee that had been put together to review the situation did listen to the scientists, the Secretary New Komeito, and the MEXT. So, it wasn’t as if they had ignored the warning. But – they would only take drastic measures if there was some kind of 'proof' that the events of this other world were truly all that similar to their own. Unfortunately, the best evidence to give them the confirmation that they were looking for would be only two days before the worst natural disaster in Japan’s recorded history.

Still, there were things that could be done in advance. Relief elements were moved into position. Evacuation routes were planned. The power company insisted that all of it’s nuclear reactors in northern Honshu prepare for a controlled, cold shutdown. The operators of ships in the Pacific ports of northern Honshu were told to prepare to send their vessels out to sea on the morning of the eleventh. And, to get all this in motion, the people of Japan were told… a lie. It was a convincing lie, but it was nonetheless, a lie.

'Due to divine luck, some research seismologists accidentally dropped one of their deep water sensors into an area that gave them startling readings. If their findings are correct, an earthquake of at least magnitude 6.7 will occur about a hundred and seventy kilometers off the coast of Sendai, at a depth of 14 kilometers. This tectonic event should happen some time between one and two in the afternoon on the ninth of March. Although an earthquake of this magnitude can be troublesome, at this distance it isn’t anything that should cause too much damage.' The first part of the message was designed to get everyone's attention. It did that job well, and if it had ended there – it would have concluded as a warning of little consequence. Japan is, after all, geographically located in a hot spot for earthquakes and volcanoes. But the warning wasn’t over – and the rest of the message was quite alarming, 'If the research seismologists are correct, this will be a precursor to an earthquake of unprecedented power that will occur forty-five to fifty-five hours later.'

Suddenly, there was a lot of interest in this un-troublesome earthquake. Many questions were asked about the veracity of these claims, but the government's response was always the same. They promised to take every reasonable measure to insure the safety of the people and try to mitigate the damage from the disaster to come, should there be any.

Other than the repeated government response, there were no live interviews with these alleged 'research seismologists', but there were some pictures of them in long white lab coats in rooms full of complex looking equipment. They stood looking at displays, or bent over computer screens. And in one of the pictures, three of them seemed to be arguing vehemently over some deeply held scientific belief. Tomoyo, Kyou, and Tomoya couldn’t believe the story that had been invented for this farce, but even more astounding were the pictures.

“I can’t believe you had these guys play the part of… scientists.” Tomoyo shook her head in disbelief of the picture right in front of her.

“Hay, I taut I looked purty good in dat lab coat.” Iwao blustered.

“Hah, Ryota was the only one of us that looked right in any of dem pictures.” Takeshi snickered. It was supposed to be a jab at Ryota for turning into a geek, but the tallest of Tomoyo’s rogues took it as a complement.

“I can’t believe you gave the papers such specifics.” Tomoya commented as he looked aside from the big, wall mounted monitor in his living room.

“What do you mean?” the MEXT asked.

“I’m no geologist, but I don’t think the science of earthquake prediction has developed to the point that it can make such precise estimates. How is anyone going to take this seriously?” Tomoya asked.

“You are absolutely right.” the MEXT seemed to agree with Tomoya, but his voice sounded accusational when he added, “You are no geologist… and neither are _almost_ everyone else. So, if your little project is right about this – and an earthquake of the right magnitude occurs in exactly the right place at the right time… then all of those other also-not-geologists are going to believe us when we tell them to evacuate their homes, turn off their reactors, and set sail with their boats.”

“But, what about the real geologists and seismologists out there?” Kyou asked their visitors without taking her eyes off the big screen.

“They will be stunned, of course.” the Secretary New Komeito said with a chuckle, “I’m sure that in time, they will realize that there was some kind of prevarication. But it will take a while for their evidence, investigation, and proof.”

“Then… we will be found out.” Tomoya felt as if everything they had done was inevitably futile.

“Indeed we will.” the Secretary sounded strangely unconcerned and even smiled as he told Tomoya, “Eventually that day will come, but it will be long after the eleventh.”

“I see.” Tomoya understood then that this farce hadn’t been put in place to protect the project. At least, not entirely. The Secretary had come up with this plan to make sure that everyone was listening when, and if, the government ordered the evacuations to begin.

“It’s almost time.” Ryota commented and they all turned their eyes to the special news broadcast.

All over Japan people were watching the special news program – indeed, much of the world was watching Japan right now. Never before, in the course of human endeavor, had anyone ever predicted an earthquake with such precision. At least, at no time had anyone been taken seriously after making such audacious claims. And, never had any of the prophets, soothsayers, or psychics been right. So now, Japan and the rest of the world watched to see if the small group of researchers would be vindicated, or if they had somehow managed to trick an entire government with some kind of swindle.

The special program had been going on for almost forty-five minutes now, and nothing had happened so far. The information that the government had previously released had been vague about the exact _time_ of the ‘event’ that would be happening off shore from Sendai. In the forty-five minutes that had passed so far, the commentators and their panel of experts had in turn praised and scoffed at the government and their apparent folly. The growing opinion was that the New Komeito party was to blame for this foolishness, but at least they showed that they really did care about the lives of the citizenry.

Only a select group of people knew of the exact timing from the other world, and knew when the real show would start. Most of those people were in the room with Tomoya at the moment. They watched the program announce that they were about to take a commercial break just as they heard Ryota’s voice softly announce, “Thirty seconds.”

“Oh, such bad timing to go to a commercial.” the Secretary New Komeito pitied the shows producer who would be taking the heat for that decision.

 

One of the special seismometers owned and operated by the rail company that operated the bullet trains was located on the small island of Kinkasan, a few kilometers off the coast of the Japanese mainland. It had a singular function by design. At the moment that an ‘event’ was detected, it would send out a signal that would force every moving train in the region to come to a stop. Piggybacking on that transmission, other servers would immediately send out flash messages to cell phones all across the country. All of this would occur before the first actual shocks were felt in the closest city.

Sendai.

A city that had experienced horrible destruction and death from the powerful tsunami that followed the earthquake… in the other universe. Today though, it was the site of the national broadcast for this news program, and the people of the region were hoping that it would all be a false alarm. Secretly, Tomoya wouldn't mind if it didn't come true either. He had seen the newspapers, magazines, video copies of news programs, and pictures of thousands of refugees from the blighted areas. Even if this would guarantee funding for his program for the foreseeable future, the price in human suffering was just too high to pay. But hopefully, the warning that their project had released, would save lives and lessen peoples misery… even if it couldn't save their homes, businesses, and communities.

“Zero.” Ryota called out. The commercial suddenly went away and the camera was focused on the surprised faces of the commentators and guests. Many of them were looking at their cell phones.

“I don't know if this is real, but all of our phones just announced an earthquake event...” One of the announcers was saying when another person interrupted.

“We have word that all the trains in northern Honshu have come to a stop.” the second person's surprise turned to fear as the camera's view began to vibrate.

“This… this can't be real!” one of the guests that had been the most dismissive cried out. The view changed to cameramen that were outside the studio and filming scenes on the streets. With the epicenter of the quake so far away, the effects weren't as devastating as they might have been, but it was easy to see cars bouncing on their suspensions and people swaying as they tried to keep their footing.

“How close were we?” Tomoya asked aloud. The people on the television would eventually reveal the intensity of the earthquake and the location of the epicenter. And, they would realize that the match was perfect. But only the people in the room, and very few others, had known the exact magnitude and timing of the event.

“Magnitude 7.1 and… they were a match to within a hundredth of a second.” one of the technicians next to Ryota answered.

“So, not an identical match then?” Tomoya remained hopeful that his universe might not have the same misfortunate future.

“Okazaki-san, the equipment is only accurate to hundredths of seconds.” Ryota explained, “It is as close a match as we can determine with this equipment.”

“Oh, I see.” Tomoya acknowledged.

“Mr. Secretary, I believe we now have a lot of work to do.” Tomoya said to the two visiting politicians.

“I appreciate your determination, but your only responsibility now is to get away from here. Take your friends with you and go somewhere secluded.” the Secretary replied.

“We had planned on taking a little vacation in Okinawa.” Kyou offered.

“No, I’m afraid that won’t do. Okinawa will be too busy now. You need a place that is _secluded_.” the MEXT said.

“Why?” Tomoya demanded to know, “Why do I have to run away and why does Kyou have to cancel her vacation with the children?”

“ _My_ vacation?” Kyou rounded on Tomoya, “When did it stop being _our_ vacation?”

“Kyou… I want to but… I have to take responsibility.” the admission came out of Tomoya’s mouth as if it hurt him to say the words.

“Responsibility?” Kyou didn’t understand what Tomoya felt so responsible about but her dark aura was starting to come out as she looked at Tomoya trying to weasel his way out of a family vacation. Her eyes hadn’t become red yet, but her jaw was set and her hands were balled into fists.

“Oh my? Do you have survivor’s guilt already?” the Secretary asked in an amused voice.

“Eh?” both Tomoya and Kyou turned on the Secretary.

“You feel guilty for all the people that are going to lose their homes, even their communities. You do, don’t you?” the Secretary didn’t wait for an answer. He could see the pain of the guilt in Tomoya’s eyes. In a mirthful, teasing voice he asked, “Whatever happened to the carefree delinquent that you used to be?”

“You’re suggesting I should feel nothing?” Tomoya demanded. He wanted to scream at the old man that he had seen everything that had been brought back and he knew how horrible the situation was. But, he knew that the Secretary had looked over everything as well.

“My dear boy, you are very confused right now.” the Secretary no longer sounded so gay, but his voice wasn’t condescending either. “You have spent hours looking at all the horrors that one of our parallel worlds has gone through, and it has made you think that you are somehow responsible for this. That is a fallacy. The truth is that no man is responsible for acts of nature… and that includes you.”

“But… all the suffering.” Tomoya could feel the pain in his chest as if his heart were being squeezed by a vice. The crushing guilt made him bow his head, unable to raise his eyes from the floor.

“Wherever you are, in two days – I want you to watch the coverage of the event. Once again, you will see terrible visions of the destructive water laying waste to coastal communities. There will be much sadness from those who have lost their homes and possessions. But…” the Secretary waited until Tomoya looked up again before he continued, “the biggest difference will be in loss of life. Because of you, our world will not be surprised and unprepared. Old people and children, mothers and fathers… all of those unfortunate souls that were swept away by the cold waters of the tsunami in that other world – their counterparts here have a chance because of you.”

“The nuclear incident deserves mention as well.” the MEXT huffed.

“Indeed it does!” the Secretary agreed.

“Young man, you may not see it in the news that much, because we are giving the power company a chance to redeem themselves...” the MEXT told Tomoya, “We took all the information from the investigations that were done in the other world and we are holding them accountable. Japan has a reputation for safe nuclear energy and we want to keep it that way. There is realistically nothing we can do to stop the tsunami from swamping our facilities, just as the site in the other world was flooded. However, we are hoping that bringing them to a cold shutdown state will be enough to prevent a meltdown, and eventually… we should be able to return the facility to operation.”

“Add to that, the human toll as whole towns and villages had to flee their homes because of the radiation releases from the damaged reactors. If the cold shutdown of the reactors is successful, all that land will not be despoiled and all of those people will not lose their homes.” the Secretary added.

“Then… why do I need to run away?” Tomoya insisted.

“Out of sight, out of mind.” the MEXT said with what he thought was a clever grin.

“My dear boy,” the Secretary said compassionately, “Just because there has been no leak so far, it doesn’t mean we are through this. As I have already told you, it is only a matter of time before someone has convincing proof that there was never a seismic discovery that saved everyone. They may go to the government and demand to know the truth, or they might do their own investigation and discover a trail that leads… here.”

“If it is an eventuality, then what is the point of running?” Tomoya asked. It was only a question now and he felt far less compulsion to fight against what the Secretary and the MEXT were proposing.

“The more time we have until the truth is revealed, the better for all of us. But I think you can plainly see that the next week is going to be a very important time… and the next two days will be absolutely crucial.” The Secretary said. He ended with a half smile that let Tomoya know that it was up to him to figure out the rest.

“So… where do we go?” Tomoya asked as he turned to face a Kyou who no longer looked upset.

“I… I don’t know.” Kyou’s anger boiled away to be replaced by some guilt of her own. She had been furious with Tomoya just a moment ago, but she had never noticed the guilt that he had been carrying around. And now, he was turning to her for help and her mind was a blank.

“I have an idea!” Yuki said with a smile while she waved her cell phone at them.

 

“Hey, dad. How are you and Obāsan doing?” Tomoya asked his father over Yuki’s pink-rabbit-ear-cased cell phone.

“It's another cold Hokkaido winter, but we’re okay. I’m not getting drunk, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Naoyuki said softly. It hurt his pride a bit to have to assume that was the reason for this call, but given what the teen Tomoya had seen of his father, it was understandable. But Naoyuki's spirit brightened substantially at his son's response.

“No dad, that's not it at all. I mean… I'm glad you're doing well with… that. But I was calling for something else.” Tomoya hated the fact that he hadn't talked to his father for a while. Now that he thought about it, all of his recent calls had been when he needed something. And, unfortunately, this time was no different.

“Are you in trouble?” Naoyuki was worried about the sound of distress in his son's voice.

“No… well… we need to get out of town for a while. We need to go somewhere… remote.” Tomoya told his father.

“How many and how soon?” Naoyuki asked. Then, in a more hopeful sounding voice, he asked, “And, are you bringing the kids?”

“Yeah, the kids will be coming with us.” Tomoya could hear the anticipation in his father's second question and it made him smile that he had become that kind of grandfather to his children. “We would be getting there tomorrow… probably late. And we we'll be staying for at least a couple of weeks. How many adults can you and Obāsan handle?”

“I see. Well, the rooms have all been rebuilt, but there are no furnishings in most of them. If your guests will be all right with tatami mats and futons, it ought to be okay. There are twenty-four guest rooms and each can sleep four on mats and futons. Will that be enough?” Naoyuki asked.

“Uh… yeah.” Tomoya was surprised that the renovations had progressed so far. Then again, with his hands in the search effort to find Kotomi and learning how to work in a political party – he hadn't been paying as much attention to the old resort as he should have. “Let's see… there should be at least four kids and… fifteen adults. Maybe more.”

“That is quite a few, but it'll be okay. As long as nobody minds sharing rooms, we can take that many and a few more.” Naoyuki said proudly. He had always wished that the inn had been able to be successful, but it had just been too far away from the more populated areas to get enough customers. With his son bringing so many people, it would be like the inn had been given a second chance.

“Thanks dad. I'll call you later with the final numbers.” Tomoya promised.

 

Shino had overheard her son's conversation with her grandson and looked amused. After she watched him say his farewell and hang up the old wall-phone, she asked Naoyuki, “You didn't tell him the big news?”

“I thought it might be a pleasant surprise for them when they get here.” Naoyuki replied.

“Hah!” Shino laughed, “I imagine it will.”

 

Taking the Shinkansen up to Hachinohe to catch the Silver ferry would be impossible this time. The entire north-east of Honshu was now in a flurry of activity to evacuate the areas that would be hit by the tsunami. As soon as the call was over with his dad, Tomoya realized he had to make a lot of arrangements quickly, and not take the route he was familiar with.

“Niigata!” Kyou cried out.

“What?” Tomoya turned to her and saw her _I'm very satisfied with myself right now_ face in full bloom.

“We can take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Niigata and they have a ferry that goes all the way to Sapporo. From there, we can take the trains to your grandmother's house.”

“There's a ferry that goes all the way from Niigata to Sapporo?” Tomoya knew it wasn't impossible since Japan was a group of islands and ferry traffic was fairly common. It just seemed a bit convenient that it would take them right to where they needed to go. Well… almost to where they needed to go. There would still be a significant train ride once they got there, but that wouldn't be too bad.

“Going to stay with relatives is a great idea.” the Secretary said cheerfully as he clapped his hands.

“Oh… thank you.” Tomoya had forgotten that the Secretary and the MEXT were still there. “Will you be leaving town too?”

“No, sadly – such is not my fate. I will be fielding all kinds of questions and will probably end up explaining myself before the DIET before too long. But I am not concerned too much. I am convinced that our good deeds will be our redemption.” the Secretary said with conviction, and a pose with his head held high and a fist held close to his heart.

“Enough posturing. You're starting to look like a buffoon.” the MEXT grouched to his friend.

“I was just having a little fun.” the Secretary tutted.

“I hope you're done with it then. We need to get back to Tokyo and these people need to get packing.” the MEXT was already putting on his overcoat and gloves.

“I'll see you to the door.” Koumura offered, since both Tomoya and Kyou were busily making the plans for their own evacuation.

“Tomoyo, get all your boys ready to go. Tell them to pack for a week.” Tomoya said.

“Why?” Tomoyo asked.

“They were all in that video. I don't want to take a chance that they will be recognized.” Tomoya explained, then added, “You'll be coming with us too.”

“No Tomoya. I must stay.” Tomoyo replied, “But I do appreciate the offer.”

“But…” Tomoya started to try and convince the platinum blond that it was the safest thing to do.

“I am an employee of the city. There are going to be a lot of things to do in the next few weeks, and I will not abandon my responsibilities.

“I'll be staying too.” Isamu said resolutely.

“But you were in that video.” Tomoya said as Tomoyo spun around to face him.

“It doesn't matter. You know what will happen if I leave.” Isamu put his hands on Tomoyo's shoulders and looked into her eyes as he said, “She'll work herself into exhaustion. She'll wear herself out and probably get sick. I can't let that happen. Like the lady said, I can't abandon my responsibilities.”

“Ack!” Kenta coughed as he leaned on Takeshi's shoulder in mock weakness, “So… much… sugar… I think I'm going to be sick.”

“All right then,” Tomoya looked around and spotted the man he was looking for, “Kenta!”

“Yo!” Kenta replied automatically until he realized who it was that had called for him, “I mean… yes, Okazaki-sama.”

“Tomoyo and Isamu have another engagement. I need you and The Boys to get packed for a week in Hokkaido and meet us at the train station in...”

“Two hours.” Kyou chimed in without looking up from the computer she was using to pore over schedules and purchase tickets.

“Got it!” Kenta dashed off and soon he and his crew were leaving the house as well.

“How many tickets do I need to buy?” Kyou called out.

“Just a second...” Tomoya turned back to the room and announced, “I want to take our kids, the two of us, Sugisaka, Koumura, and Yuki. But, I also think it would be a good idea to take all the kids we can. It might get pretty hectic around here in a few days.”

“I can't go… for the same reasons as Tomoyo's.” Youhei said, “But I'd appreciate it if you would take Yukine and Yoichi.”

“What?” Yukine had been looking forward to this trip to Hokkaido, but she had hoped that she and her son would also have the company of her husband. She thought about letting the Okazaki's take little Yoichi again and staying to help Youhei in whatever way she could.

“Please go with them.” Youhei said as he held his wife's hands, “It's going to be pretty hectic around here, and I'll feel better knowing you are in a safe place.”

“Gak! Ack! Urk!” Kenta made choking noises from where he and the other guys were getting their overcoats on and preparing to head out to do their packing.

“Kenta!” Tomoyo looked at the team's prankster and second team leader darkly.

“Sorry!” Kenta held up his hands in appeasement and backed toward the door with the rest of his crew.

“Ryou and Yusuke will probably refuse for similar reasons.” Tomoya thought about it and turned to Komura and Sugisaka, “Call Nagisa and Kouko. Tell them we want them and their kids to join us.”

“I will call Nagisa-chan” Koumura kindly offered. He knew that Sugisaka still found it embarrassing to talk to Nagisa due to her stupidity, even after all the years that had gone by.

Sugisaka nodded gratefully and opened her phone to make her call.

“Ah!” Kyou cried out.

“What is it?” Tomoya asked.

“The tickets are starting to sell faster. I think other people may be having the same idea.” Kyou looked at the rate that the capacity was dwindling and the number of tickets remaining and made a decision. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she hit the enter key as quickly as she could.

“What did you do?” Tomoya asked.

“I bought everything they had left.” Kyou was looking at the results now and counting the purchase to see if they would have enough rooms. She was hopeful that they would have enough since there was only one ferry a day that made that trip. The next ferry would probably end up being canceled since it would be… on the eleventh… the day of the coming earthquake and tsunami disaster. “I got one suite, a deluxe room, and a bunch of staterooms.”

“How many is a bunch, and how many people will fit in each room?” Tomoya asked her.

“Um… five staterooms, and… four people in each room. Except for the deluxe room… it looks like it’s only for three people.” Kyou explained.

“Twenty-three… that seems like enough.” Tomoya said as he tried to run down the list of everyone he thought they would be taking with them. He decided that it was enough room and started to figure out who would get which room when he remembered that they didn’t have a lot of time to make it to the train station. “All right Kyou, lets...”

Tomoya suddenly realized that he was alone in the room. And he was, apparently, the last one to realize that he didn’t have much time to pack.

 

**Friday late morning, March 11, 2011 – Okazaki villa in Hokkaido**

* * *

After two days of travel, involving the Shinkansen, a hotel, a ferry, a bus and several local trains in Hokkaido, they were finally at their destination. Fortunately, the trip had been fairly leisurely, so they weren’t terribly exhausted when they got to the last train station on the old local line. Still, the ferry had arrived at the little port town just down the coast from Sapporo at four-thirty that morning, so they were tired nonetheless.

“Tomoya, it’s good to see you.” Naoyuki called to hi son as he stepped out of the old truck.

“Pop? When did you get that old thing?” Tomoya asked out of surprise at seeing his father.

“It was in a shed on the resort property. I got it running just a few weeks ago. I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’s reliable.” the old man said apologetically.

“No, it’s fine. How many can it take?” Tomoya tried to change the subject from sounding like he was criticizing his dad’s handiwork.

“I can take six, but I could take all your luggage.” Naoyuki offered. The truck had a flatbed back with wooden farmer’s rails. It looked like it might have once been used to haul produce, but that was a long time ago.

“Six huh… I wanted you to take Nagisa and all of the children, but that would be too many.” Tomoya pondered.

“Yeah… looks like you’ve got eight kids with you this time.” Naoyuki said after he had a look at the group around Tomoya.

“Eight?” Tomoya turned around to see what his father was seeing. There were his three children, or four if he counted Ushio – the two Yoshino children with Kouko, and Sunohara Yoichi.

“Yeah, these four here...” the old man pointed at Shuichi, Shuji, Michiko, and Yoichi. “… and those four over there.” now he pointed at Ushio, Yasuo, Maiko, and… Fuko.”

“Um dad… that last one… is an adult.” Tomoya tried to say it without laughing, but it wasn’t easy.

“Seriously?” the old man looked hard at the small young lady and tried to see her as an adult, but try as he might… Then he wondered if maybe Tomoya was trying to play a joke on him. It wouldn’t be unlike his son to pull some kind of prank on his father. _Maybe this is some kind of revenge for the snow incident?_

“Yeah, she’s actually my age.” Tomoya said. Then he thought about it and decided that it would be a good idea for Fuko to be one of the first to ride up to the old resort in the truck. She was still recovering from having spent much of her life in a hospital bed, so she and Nagisa would be the two weakest adult members of the group… and it was a pretty long walk.

“Otōsan?” Shuichi pulled on his father’s sleeve to get his attention, “Shuji and I can walk with you.”

“I appreciate that boys...” Tomoya was about to dismiss their offer but, after he thought about it, they were fairly athletic after all. A walk that far might tire them out, but they probably could do it. _Now, if only one other kid would walk with us, I could get both Nagisa and Fuko on the truck._ Glancing over at the other group, he had an idea – one that the old Youhei would be proud of him for. He called out to the other group that had been standing at the edge of the road, looking at the display of flowers in a little shop, “Fuko, could you bring the kids over here?”

“Yes!” Fuko fairly beamed at being called upon to do something responsible. She was actually handling several adult responsibilities these days. Kouko relied on Fuko to watch over her children, she was taking her physical therapy very seriously, she had been learning how to cook as well as taking all the high school courses that would catch her up academically. But, as adult as her friends and family might treat her, it was still infuriating for her when strangers would assume that she was a child. So, she was delighted when anyone would treat her like an adult in public. Taking Yasuo’s and Ushio’s hands, she called to Maiko, “Come along Maiko-chan!”

As expected, Maiko-chan hung back as the others came to the summons… until she saw that Shuichi and Shuji were standing next to their dad. Then she hurried over and stood next to them as if it was her rightful place.

“Now Fuko,” Tomoya leaned over and put his hand on Fuko’s shoulder as if her were about to ask her something of great importance, “can I rely on you to take care of Nagisa-chan and the children?”

“Yes! Uh… Nagisa-chan?” Fuko’s thrill of being relied on flickered with confusion at being asked to take care of Nagisa.

“We have a long way to walk you see, and Nagisa-chan is already looking tired.” Tomoya said with a straight face, “My boys are strong enough to walk the distance and they are good reliable boys too. If something were to happen, I’m sure they would try their best to help Nagisa-chan, but… well… they’re not adults like you are.”

Tomoya’s barb got two results – and from the two people they were aimed at too. For him, this was a double victory.

“I can do that!” Fuko said proudly.

“I can walk if Shuichi and Shuji can walk!” Maiko insisted. Although it wasn’t so much a boast about her strength or endurance as much as she just wanted to stay with the twins. But… she couldn’t admit that.

“Are you sure, Maiko?” Tomoya spurred the young girl on, “You’re a girl after all, and...”

“I can do it if they can do it!” Maiko shouted.

“All right, all right!” Tomoya acted as if he had been beaten, “But I’m going to hold you to it. No, suddenly deciding you're too tired and you want someone to carry you.”

“Ha! I would never do that!” Maiko said indignantly.

“Didn’t she get you to carry her piggyback just a couple of days ago?” Shuichi asked his younger twin brother quietly.

“Shh! You’ll get her mad at us again, Onii-chan.” Shuji admonished his older brother in a soft whisper.

A few moments later, Miako was proudly walking between the Okazaki twins as they watched the truck drive up the road and out of sight. It wasn’t a very warm day, as evidenced by the snow that clung tenaciously to the Hokkaido countryside in places where the sun didn’t reach. They didn’t mind too much though. They were all dressed warmly and the walk was good exercise. Or at least it was some exercise. They all walked at a leisurely pace for the sake of the children, and took the opportunity to have pleasant conversations and take in the scenery.

Still in Hokkaido’s lowlands, the scenery was mostly fields that looked like they had been raked into even lines of dirt. There were a stand of trees that were steadily getting closer as they walked up the rural road, and in the distance, some of Hokkaido’s mountains loomed in the hazy distance.

“Why did they make all those lines of dirt?” Maiko asked.

“Maybe they like orderly dirt?” Shuji suggested.

“Hmrrrf!” Yuki tried to stifle her laughter. She knew that Shuji’s answer came from his mother’s insistence that everyone made sure their desk was in a perfect line before they left the classroom for the day because… she wanted her classroom _orderly_.

“Yuki, I swear… if I had a book right now.” Kyou said threateningly.

“Iz cus dey jus planted da crops.” Iwao said in answer to little Maiko’s question.

“Iwao!” Kyou’s ire swept from her teaching assistant to the stout man in the workman’s clothes.

“Iz sory. Ifn ya don wan me ta talk to da kids…” the dangerous looking man sounded crestfallen at the rebuke.

“Baka! I don’t mind if you talk to the kids. But what happened to all that effort you put in to learning how to better enunciate your words?” Kyou demanded.

“I taut… I thought that wuz only for when dem fancy types from Tokyo wuz around?” Iwao asked.

Kyou put her hand over her face, but it was Sugisaka that replied to Iwao’s question.

“You should be mindful of your actions around the people _here_ , far more than the ‘fancy types from Tokyo’, Iwao-san.” Sugisaka told the man.

“Uh… I’m sorry ifn I offended ya, Kyou-sensei.” Iwao apologized – thinking that it was his teacher who Sugisaka was talking about.

“No, not Kyou-sama, or any of the other adults here.” Sugisaka corrected the misunderstanding, “I am referring to Shuichi-kun, Shuji-kun, and Maiko-chan.”

“Huh?” Iwao knew that it was Sugisaka's job to look after the Okazaki children, but saying that they were more important than the government people from Tokyo seemed a little much.

“They are children. They soak up their environment like a sponge. To a great extent, they emulate the adults around them. If they are well behaved and proper – it is at least partially due the adults in their environment. You are one of those adults, Iwao.” Sugisaka repeated the words that had made such an impact on her, not too long ago. Then, for emphasis, she stopped and turned to face all of _The Boys_ and told them, “Not just Iwao. All of you.”

“Uh, we all appreciate the work you do with the kids, Sugisaka-san. But, don’t you think you’re going too far with that? I mean, why would any kids pay attention to us?” Takeo rebutted Sugisaka’s claim, but he was careful to use better speech in the presence of Kyou-sensei.

“You’re heroes. Why _wouldn’t_ children pay attention to you, watch how you behave, and listen to how you talk? Of course they’ll want to emulate you.” Sugisaka replied.

“Erk!” Takeshi blanched and put his hands over his lap. Quietly he asked Ryota, “Why would kids want to cut off my junk?”

“That’s emasculate.” Ryota explained, “Emulate means something different.”

“Huh?” Takeshi still didn’t seem convinced.

“I’ll explain later.” Ryota whispered to his worried comrade.

“I guess I get it.” Mikio nodded.

“Yeah, me too.” Takeo then bowed slightly to Sugisaka and said, “Thank you Sugisaka-san.

“Hey,” Kyou said sharply to Tomoya as she elbowed him in the ribs, “why are you staring at her so much?”

“Oof… hey!” Tomoya fended off another elbow attack and explained, “Did you hear what Sugisaka just said?”

“Yeah, I heard it… and she was right too.” Kyou got another jab in at Tomoya’s ribs, but this time with an accusing finger, “It wouldn’t hurt you to think like that too, you know.”

Tomoya knew that it would do no good to try and explain that Sugisaka had been using his words. In fact, no words from him would help to clear up anything or relieve his frustration. Of course, that only added to his frustration to the point that Tomoya had the sudden urge to beat his head against the nearest tree.

 

Koumura, Yukine, and Kouko loaded up in the old truck with the three remaining children when Naoyuki came back down the road. He seemed to be in a hurry and apologized for taking so long to come back for them. It couldn’t be helped since they had to also unload all the luggage from the truck. But he promised to come back quick to get the next group.

“Why the hurry? We’re enjoying the walk.” Tomoya told his father through the open window on the driver’s door.

“There’s more snow coming.” Naoyuki looked off in the distance at a leaden sky. The whole sky had been under an overcast since the sun came up, but it was starting to look darker even though it was still early in the afternoon. “It’s not supposed to get all the way to a blizzard, but there’s no point taking any chances.”

“All right, I’ll trust you on this.” Tomoya said as his father drove off with more of his friends and children. After the truck was out of sight, he noticed that Sugisaka looked pretty down. “Are you worried about the storm, Sugisaka?”

“I don’t like snow storms.” she said tersely. Her hatred of snow storms wasn’t as bad as it used to be. Having grown up in a crowded little shack of a house with an old leaky roof… Whenever it snowed, her little family had to turn off the heater and endure the cold. The heat would accumulate in the ceiling and melt the snow on the roof. The freezing cold water from the melted snow would rain down on them from all the cracks. Even with pots and pans and buckets laid out to catch all the dripping water, everything would get wet anyway, and at least one of them would get sick. Then, any money they had managed to save would be gone… to buy medicine.

“You can go on the next ride.” Tomoya told her.

“I wasn’t trying to complain. Forgive me. I can wait for the last ride.” Sugisaka said.

“There is nothing to forgive.” Tomoya told her, “I want you there to help with the kids.”

“Of course, Tomoya-sama.” Sugisaka knew that he had just come up with that excuse, but she had followed the servants rules. ‘Differ once, then accept the Master’s offer.’

“Oho! You seem to be paying a lot of attention to Sugisaka all of the sudden.” Kyou poked at his ribs again as she smirked, “Is Tomoya not happy unless he has a harem at his beck and call? Hmm?”

Sugisaka blushed, but said nothing at Kyou-sama’s audacious teasing.

“Kyou!” Tomoya decided that he was done with Kyou’s annoying game. None of the kids were around now, so he felt like he had the freedom to retaliate in full, “Do you need my ‘attention’ so soon after all of the ‘attention’ I gave you on the ferry? Oh, you really are a lusty girl, aren’t you?”

“Wha...” Kyou’s cheeks reddened at being called ‘lusty’, and the mention of the ‘attentions’ that Tomoya had given her in the suite on the ferry.

“Have you forgotten that I was only able to give you those ‘attentions’ because Sugisaka was nice enough to take the children for hours…” Tomoya raised his voice to make sure that everyone in the group could hear him, “hours… and hours… of my… ‘attentions’ that I gave only to you? Have you forgotten my ‘attentions’ so soon? Shall I describe in detail the kind of ‘attention’ that Kyou-chan craves?”

“Ah! Don’t you dare… I never… No.” Kyou’s face went from anger to fear to denial to embarrassment. Finally, she held onto the sleeve of Tomoya’s coat and whined, “Tomoya… why do you have to be so mean?”

The rest of the group kept their laughter to themselves and noticed that the first snowflakes were starting to fall from the ominous looking sky. But of the three: land, sea and sky – it wouldn't be the sky that would be the most ominous element of the day. Kenta, Iwao, Takeo, and Takeshi – who had all been in the recent exploration group, turned once and looked back in the direction of the distant sea as they crested a hill. No longer visible from the distance and the falling snow, everything seemed so tranquil and beautiful now. It was hard to imagine that the same sea that had been the livelihood of this coastal community for so many years, would soon be responsible for so much destruction.

 

**Friday afternoon, March 11, 2011 – Northern Japan**

* * *

The Furukawa's had locked down everything that they could. The house and the bakery were both prepared for the tremors that would soon come. Tomoya had told them that the tremors shouldn't be too bad in the immediate vicinity, but with earthquakes, it was always prudent to be cautious.

The police and mayor's office had set up safe locations in the parks around the city where food and drink were available and big screen televisions were set up to show the event. Knowing that the area would be faced with rolling blackouts due to the coastal reactors that had been shut down, they had also arranged to have generator trucks at the parks so that there would be no interruption to the coverage.

Other areas didn't have nearly the confidence that the prediction would come true, but they were all prepared to one degree or another. Not only had all of the coastal Nuclear Power Plants been put into a cold shutdown, but all of the residents in the predicted areas of effect had been safely removed to approved evacuation sites. Every boat or ship that could be made to run, had left their ports for safer harbors, or to just loiter out at sea until it was safe to return. Chemical and petroleum companies did as much lock-down as they could.

The only people left in the zones that were predicted to have the most destruction were emergency workers, news crews, and professional photographers who had obtained special permission. They had to promise to stay in specific locations that were deemed safe, but their reach was far from limited to the few buildings and hills that the government allowed. Thousands of drones had been launched and were recording everything that happened. Indeed, the news and government offices had made such a run on the purchase of the flying platforms that there were none to be had in the country. But these were the people who were looking forward to seeing something amazing. For most people, the tsunami brought a much more somber message.

All across Japan, even in the areas that were projected to be 'safe' millions of people gathered at shrines, temples, and churches. There were prayers that this was all a mistake and that nothing would happen. But most people now believed that the disaster would come, following the successful prediction from a few days before. Some prayed for themselves, but most prayers were said for those who would be affected by the coming devastation.

In Tokyo, the DIET was in full session as they awaited the news. Even those that had publicly discounted the prediction as political posturing and foolishness wouldn't be absent on this day. They were ready to blast the parties in power for wasting the country's resources on the ridiculous scam. However, on the odd chance that the earthquake would happen as predicted, they would be in a perfect position to make statements about abandoning political vanity and doing what is best for the country. And so, the full DIET watched the big clock and kept an eye on their cell phones. Along with the rest of the country, they waited as the minutes became seconds, and the seconds counted down to the time that had been unveiled as the moment when everything would begin.

**2:46 PM – All of Japan**

Cell phones buzzed and blared with alerts from the earthquake warning system. The messages that everyone got were exactly what they were told to expect, which reinforced the believe by some that this was an extremely elaborate prank… until the temblors began. It was a few minutes later that the shaking began in Tokyo itself and by now, there was no-one who disbelieved the prediction.

Video from Tokyo showed buildings swaying and frightened people in the streets. But there weren't nearly as many people as one would expect from one of the most populous cities in the world. Because of the government announcements, tens of millions of commuters had stayed home that morning – making the usually bustling train stations look like ghost towns.

At the Okazaki resort in Hokkaido, everyone was gathered in the big lounge that connected the two long wings of rooms. It was a comfortable room with a large fireplace and the new, big-screen television that Naoyuki had recently set up. Sugisaka, Nagisa, and Fuko watched over the children while the video played out from Tokyo and the cities and towns all across the coast of northern Honshu.

“Seventeen minutes.” Tomoya said as he checked the time on his phone. No-one around him asked what that meant. They had all seen the papers that had been brought back from the other world, by the survey team - and they knew what would happen next.

 

In the park across from the Furukawa Bakery, Youhei, Tomoyo, and Isamu were with the mayor and the chief of police to watch the events unfold - along with everyone else in the park. They felt the ground shaking shortly after the news broadcasts told of tremors and buildings swaying in downtown Tokyo.

“So, this is real then.” the mayor said softly.

“Hmm?” Youhei prompted without taking his eyes off the video feed.

“I never doubted your friends… really, I didn't. But the idea of something this devastating was just so… unreal. I guess I just couldn't imagine it.” the mayor admitted.

“I think… that's how it is for all of us.” Isamu said gently.

Youhei thought there was something wrong with the audio from the feed for a moment. But he was soon able to separate the sounds coming out of the loudspeakers from the sounds that were coming in from all around him.

Bells. Lots of bells were ringing out.

The huge Ōgane bells at the temples made their deep resonant _bong_ as that the monks pulled back the huge striker in slow constant rhythm. As if using the deep sorrowful sound as a bass line, the churches of the area rang their higher pitch bells from their steeples and bell-towers as if they were harmonizing with each other and with the temples. To Youhei it sounded as if they were singing a spiritual song of bells to the people… a song to give them comfort and hope against the crushing feeling of helplessness.

Many people would need that comfort, and soon. The thousands of drones that brought video back to the televisions of the world were already showing the viewers the first images of the next part of the calamity.

The tsunami was on its way.

**3:06 PM – Ōfunato**

Kyou shuddered when the view from the news feed showed the impossibly long wave of water moving toward the shore. It wasn't an unrealistically high wave like the ones that might be seen in a disaster movie, but it wouldn't have to be. Kyou wasn't as good as Kotomi at physics, but it didn't take genius to know that a large amount of water can be incredibly destructive, even if it is moving slowly. And, this was no gentle tide.

She watched with the others in the room as the wave crashed into the breakwaters and flowed over them. The water swelled up against the seawall of the little harbor town in Iwate prefecture, and then overwhelmed it. No single monstrous wave would destroy the town. Instead, it would be the constant flow of seawater spilling over the inadequate seawalls and racing through the streets of the unfortunate coastal community. Knocking down smaller buildings and turning houses into splinters, it washed them all inland along with cars, trucks, and countless other debris.

**Ishinomaki**

Five minutes later, the little town was still reeling from the destructive landfall of the merciless water. But the video added a new view as the next landfall was about to reach another coastal town in the Miyagi prefecture.

**Miyako**

A minute after that, another town was wiped from the map. Then it seemed like every few minutes, the horror repeated itself as the crushing wave of water worked its way up and down the Pacific coast of Honshu.

**Kamaishi**

Kyou couldn't watch any more. She had seen the pictures before and she just couldn't bear to see this happening in her world. She didn't remember leaving Tomoya's side, but the chills of the snow flurry filled air awakened her and let her know that she had gone outside and was leaning on the wooden railing of the back porch. Tears were running down her face from the horror she had just watched – which just added to the bite of the cold air on her cheeks. The cold made her want to go back inside to the warmth of the big room with the fireplace, but she didn't want to go back in until she could stop crying.

A heaviness fell across her shoulders as a warm blanket suddenly wrapped her up along with strong arms that held her close.

“Thank you.” Kyou said as she felt the warmth of Tomoya's body against her back. She appreciated the blanket but the rage and the helplessness she was feeling made her want to be alone.

“You're upset.” Tomoya observed as he cuddled closer to her.

“Of course I'm upset!” Kyou spat, “How could you watch that and not feel so… powerless?”

“Hmm, you and I must have been watching two different broadcasts.” Tomoya said softly, “I was watching a great triumph of what we _can_ do.”

“Hmpf!” Kyou said dismissively as she tried to struggle out of his grasp, “When did you become such an optimist?”

“It’s not optimism. We just saw the truth on the television.” Tomoya enjoyed feeling Kyou struggle against his grip, but he also knew how she could become depressed and moody if he didn’t do something to give her a different perspective.

“I think those people in New Komeito have been melting your brain.” Kyou accused, as she continued to struggle against the strong arms encircling her, “Didn't you see all that destruction?”

“I did.” Tomoya said calmly as he held her all the more tightly.

“I… I can't believe you. We just stood there and watched homes… whole towns being destroyed.” Kyou could feel the tears coming again and was about to yell at him to let go, when his reply stunned her.

“But, no loss of life.” Tomoya said softly, then he corrected himself, “Well… there may be some loss. The documents from the other world said that a few people died from shock and heart attacks – when they witnessed the loss. But, since they had so much warning that this was coming, even those people might not die. Because of the warning, we won't see the staggering numbers that the other world had.”

Kyou's struggling stopped as she reeled from the oversight. _Tomoya is right. The other world had counted over ten thousand casualties at the time of the exploration, and there were thousands missing as well. I've always said to worry about the person and not the thing. As long as the people are okay, things can be rebuilt._ “Tomoya, I…” she was about to apologize, but her voice caught in her throat. Even though she knew that most everyone had been saved, she couldn't forget the scenes of destruction that had played out in town after town.

“Shh. You don't need to say anything. Just… let me hold you for a bit.” Tomoya said softly. He could feel Kyou trembling beneath the big blanket and knew that she was still troubled with what she had seen.

“The children...” Kyou said as the thought of them watching the horror play out on the television suddenly worried her.

“Don't worry, they are taken care of.” Tomoya said calmly, “Nagisa, Sugisaka, and Fuko are watching over them.”

“But they're so young. To see something so terrible...” Kyou shuddered at the thought.

“They're too young to make sense of most of it. When I left the room, the older ones were asking questions and the younger ones were bored.” Tomoya told her.

“They were bored?” Kyou replied from the surprise, but understood it even as the words were coming out of her mouth. To a four year old, they were just pictures. It might be different if the child saw someone getting hurt, but an arial picture of a village being turned into rubble was meaningless to them. “I guess I get it.”

Tomoya put his face into her lavender hair and gently kissed the top of her head. Holding her tight, he waited until she stopped shaking before he loosened his hold on her. As soon as he did, Kyou took the opportunity to turn around and lean into him. With the blanket wrapped around her, she couldn't wrap her arms around him. But, for Kyou there was a simple comforting peace and solace in being wrapped up and held, so she stayed like that for a while. With her head against his chest, and his hand caressing her hair, she was able to feel a little peace. Together, they quietly stood on the porch and watched the snow fall onto the wintry landscape.

 

**Saturday morning, March 12, 2011 – Okazaki villa in Hokkaido**

* * *

By common agreement, no-one bothered to turn on the television in the big room. Few of them bothered to look at their cell phones… at least, nothing more than the calls and messages from friends and loved ones. But, even if those measures had helped to keep them from falling further into sadness and despair, they hadn't done anything to raise the group's dampened spirits.

“All right, I think it's time Okāsan.” Naoyuki said to his mother after everyone had finished picking at their breakfast.

“Time… for what?” Tomoya asked his father.

“You'll see.” Naoyuki said with a twinkle in his eye, “Dress warmly and bring a towel.”

“A towel?” many voices asked the question but they could see that Naoyuki was already putting on his boots. There was a dash to retrieve outdoor clothes for those that were less prepared, and several of the adults had to stop to help the younger ones into their winter clothes. But they were eventually out on the back porch with Tomoya's father.

“What are you up to, old man?” Tomoya asked his father as he moved up to stand next to him.

“Tomoya, have you changed so much? You used to like surprises.” Naoyuki asked his son.

“That was half a lifetime ago for me.” Tomoya reminded his father.

“Oh? It doesn't seem nearly so long ago to me.” Naoyuki said with a raised eyebrow. “But I suppose you deserve some kind of an answer. I want to show you what good we've done with some of the money you've sent us to get things fixed up.”

“Oh, all right.” Tomoya could have challenged his father that the answer he gave hadn't been much of an answer, but he could see how much the old man wanted to surprise everyone. “Have it your way, but I hope it isn't too far away. We do have small children with us.”

“Half a kilometer?” Naoyuki asked.

“That should be fine.” Kyou answered. She wanted to take the boys' hands on this little walk, but Maiko-chan had already beaten her to the between-the-twins position. Michiko took her hand though, and Yoichi took hers.

There was a lot of hand holding, since there were a lot of children with them, but it wasn't only the children that were holding hands on this little walk. Tomoya made sure that he took Kyou's other hand.

 

The walk wasn't long and several of the adults figured out what the surprise was before they actually got there. The steam rising into the air and the smell of sulphur did tend to give away the surprise. But Naoyuki didn't care. He could see their spirits rising and their excitement when they could finally see the rocky outcropping with the natural hot water burbling up out of the ground.

The rock walls that kept the water from quickly running off had been repaired and there was quite a bit of room for everyone to relax. Those were the only repairs that had been accomplished so far though. The old changing room was still derelict and the wall that would have split the waters into a _his_ side and a _her_ side, was long gone. There were a few picnic style tables and benches that had been set up though.

“You'll have to change outside and it will have to be a mixed bath, I'm afraid.” Naoyuki apologized for the oversight.

“Oh, I don't think that will be a problem!” Kyou said enthusiastically. She was really looking forward to soaking in the soothing hot water.

“You're not going to suggest some crazy blindfold solution, are you?” Tomoya asked his wife who was already half undressed.

“What are you… still in high school? Of course not. Don't be silly.” Kyou had all of her clothes folded on one of the tables as well as Michiko's and Yoichi's.

The boys were out of their clothes and helping Maiko out of the last of hers. Tomoya thought about interfering, but they seemed to be innocently helping their friend rather than trying anything lewd. The six toughs also wondered if this was really okay and looked to Tomoya to follow his lead. Turning to where his father had been standing, Tomoya started to say that it should be okay to go ahead and get in the water with everyone else… but his father wasn't there.

“Why the reluctance son?” Naoyuki called out from where he was already in the water, “I've been in here many times. I can guarantee it's safe.”

“Yeah… but, it's okay? I mean… for all of us to get in together?” Tomoya couldn't help it. The Boys had looked to him, but he in turn had looked to his father.

“I don't see why not. We're all family.” Naoyuki replied warmly.

“Yeah… I guess we are.” Tomoya thought about all the things he had gone through, and the times he had spent with everyone here. A smile spread across his face as he turned to the tough guys that were still waiting for a cue, “Come on guys, let's boil like lobsters!”

 

**Friday afternoon, March 18, 2011 – Tokyo**

* * *

The Secretary New Komeito was exhausted. In the week since the event which was now known as the ‘2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami’, the country had gone from a disaster recovery mindset, to curiosity.

Who were these seismologists who had so accurately predicted the event?

Why had the government believed them with so little supporting evidence?

How had they been able to predict the extensive damage to the nuclear power-plants?

Speculations began to circulate that the seismologists and geologists that had predicted the event had really been a sham and that the whole thing was man-made. A bomb of some kind must have been detonated to account for all the damage. But then, real scientists did step forward and showed how that was impossible. The radioactive tell-tale from a bomb capable of such destruction would have been immense. On top of that, only an earthquake could account for the geologic movement – the entire main island of Honshu had moved a little over two meters to the East, the entire world had moved about ten centimeters on it’s axis, and the rotational speed of the planet had changed – if ever so slightly. There was certainly no bomb that could do all of that.

But he wasn’t the only one to be held under the microscope of public scrutiny. His good friend, the MEXT had also had a good share of questions and even demands. After all, the ‘T’ in MEXT is for Technology, and there were a lot of people wanting to know what kind of new technology could predict earthquakes with such accuracy. He was a man who was used to confrontation though, and he kept his answer simple.

“Anyone who thinks we have such a technology is an idiot.” he had said with his air of disgust at having to answer such ridiculous questions from so many foolish people.

“Please everyone,” the Secretary New Komeito called out to the throng of reporters and anyone else that was demanding to know what was going on, “We got very lucky this time. It was a fortunate confluence of information that was seen by the right people at the right time. Such an instance of divine providence may never happen again in our lifetimes.”

“We have a right to know!” one of the people cried out, but the MEXT had heard enough of such sniveling.

“Do you?” the MEXT boomed out to the insistent mob, “I don’t believe you do. I would like for someone to show me where such a law is written! You have a right to know your accuser, and you have a right to know the facts if some transgression has been done to you. But none of these apply, do they?”

The crowd quieted somewhat under the cold stare of the MEXT. There were some mumblings but no-one openly challenged what the gaunt man had said.

“Show me where it is written that you have the right to know all the details of how your lives were spared from calamity.” the MEXT lectured the now quiet mob, “Even if I had some answers that I could give you, I am under no legal or ethical compulsion to do so.”

“Then you refuse to address our questions? You have no statement at all?” one of the reporters tried a last attempt to elicit a meaningful answer from the Minister.

“Yes, I have a statement.” the MEXT smiled as he addressed the group, “I would expect such whining and sniveling from foreign press, but I hadn’t thought to see the media of my own country stoop to such low standards. For Japanese men and women, I find your behavior… most unbecoming.”

 

The interview had been live. The coarse response of the MEXT, and the gentler response of the Secretary had been televised throughout all of Japan. In Hokkaido and back home, there was hope that the sting of the rebuke would put an end to all the questioning. But the realists knew that it would only slow things down. After all, the Ichinose Science Experiment for Parallel Universe Exploration hadn’t exactly been kept a secret. In Hokkaido and back home, there were many people who hoped that the performance of the Secretary and the MEXT would help the current excitement to fizzle out as the country worked to rebuild it’s damaged infrastructure. But, knowing better than to count on hope or luck, they worried that the reprieve that had been won for them would only be… the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
>  
> 
> **Ōgane** : Great Bell. The large bells found in Buddhist temples used in the New Year and Bon festivals.


	13. Fuko's Feelings

**Saturday morning, March 19 – Okazaki villa**

* * *

The children were gathered together with Fuko on the back porch. All of them were looking down at the snow in the courtyard with saddened eyes. It seemed that spring had come a day early and all the powdery white snow of the previous days had become a slushy wet mess. There would be no more snow angels, snowball fights, or snowmen today. And probably not until winter came again to Japan’s northernmost main island. All of them reacted in surprise when a gruff voice startled them out of their shared gloominess.

“Won’t be no sleddin taday huh?” Iwao commented from behind the children as he sipped from his coffee.

“Huh?” Fuko turned around to fuss at him for scaring the children, but noticed that he was wearing his construction worker’s outfit. “Are you going to work down in the town again today?”

“Yes,” Ryota answered from next to his coffee sipping friend, “There are still houses without electricity down there. They didn’t get nearly as much damage as the towns on Honshu, but it’s not good to be without hot water and hot air at this time of year.”

“You tell ‘em puffessuh.” Iwao said with a wry smile. They had started calling Ryota by that nickname as a joke at first. But after he spent so much time with the technical types and devoured Kyou’s language lessons, Ryota had actually started to sound like one of the learned people.

Still, the use of the nickname earned Iwao a glare from Ryota.

“Can we go to town with you?” Yoichi asked.

“Fuko thinks… I think it might be too dangerous for children.” Fuko said in an effort to sound as adult as possible.

“Actually… most of the town looks pretty good. It’s just the places along the waterfront that got damaged, and they’re all roped off.” Ryota said thoughtfully.

“But the pictures on the news?” Fuko eyed the television now, but it was now running a story about the delays until they could safely restart the Fukushima reactors.

“Those were all from northern Honshu. The Hokkaido coast didn't get hit nearly as bad.” Ryota assured the short woman. He hadn't thought of her as a _little girl_ ever since he had seen her in the hot springs.

“Can we go, Oba-Fuko?” Yasuo pleaded as he pulled on his aunt’s sleeve.

“Well… if Professor Ryota says it’s okay… and your mothers! So, go and ask permission real quick.” Fuko liked to act like an adult, and part of being a grown-up was knowing that she couldn’t just take off with other people's kids on her own authority. It was a lesson that her older sister, Kouko had drilled into her several times… until she remembered it.

“Oka-saaaaaan!” several young voices called out as the kids flocked back into the warm building in search of their mothers’ permissions.

“Fuko-chan, are you going to talk to Sugisaka-san or Yuki-san?” Ryota asked casually.

“Huh? Why?” Fuko wondered if he was suggesting that she too was a child, and needed someone’s permission to go in to town. _But if that was what he meant, why did he mention those two?_ _After all, I'm older than both of them!_

“We’ll be working and won’t be able to help you look after the kids.” Ryota explained.

“I...” _can do it myself! I’m an adult, you know! I don’t need any help._ Fuko had wanted to say, but Ryota cut her off.

“Even an experienced school teacher like Kyou-sama knows that she needs another adult along when she takes a bunch of kids on a field trip… right?” Ryota commented casually.

“Y...yes. That’s right.” Fuko chastised herself for trying so hard to be a grown-up that the effort was making her fail at it. “Fuko will… I will go talk to Sugisaka-san now!”

 

The two toughs watched the short woman run back into the warm building with the same energy that the younger children had. Ryota tried to hide his interest as he watched her go, but Iwao was no fool – despite how he sounded.

“Ya shore picked a weird one ta crush on.” Iwao said quietly.

“She’s a little different… but she’s not _that_ weird.” Ryota said defensively.

“Ya know she useta be a ghost, right?” Iwao asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ikiryo.” Ryota said simply.

“Huh?”

“She had an Ikiryo, she wasn’t a ghost. There’s a difference.” Ryota asserted.

“Still, dats pretty weird.” Iwao insisted.

“Really?” Ryota turned to face Iwao and challenged, “Is it as weird as getting hit by a bunch of particle accelerators and jumping into a parallel universe?”

“Heh… ya got a point dere.” Iwao grinned with the reminder that he was doing some pretty _weird_ stuff too. But he wasn’t finished needling his friend just yet, “So… when ya gonna tell er? Or, do ya wants to talk ta Kouko-san first?”

“Kouko-san...” Ryota considered that avenue, but there was a concern there, “Wouldn’t that just make Fuko-chan upset? Won’t she think it makes her look like a child if I talk to her sister about it first?”

“Hmm… it might, but I don tink so. Dat little girl loves her onee-chan sometin fierce. She’ll likely see it as respect.” Iwao advised.

“Respect huh?” Ryota considered his options as he looked back through the doors to see Fuko talking to Sugisaka and old-man Naoyuki.

 

An hour later and Naoyuki had dropped them all off at the town. Once there, Fuko could see one of the reasons why the damage wasn’t as extensive as it had been in other places. Unlike the wide, low valley that lay between the seafront and the city of Sendai, there was a natural cliff not far from the edge of the shore here. Most of the businesses and all of the residences were built above the cliff where they had been protected from the worst of the tsunami. Unfortunately, the problem areas were the places where most of the town’s folk made their livelihoods.

As instructed by the government warnings, all the boats had gone out to sea on the day of the disastrous waves. They had ridden the roller coaster series of waves that had come toward them, but they had been safe. In other places where the boats either could not be ready to sail in time, the flood waters had picked them up and carried them far inland where they were wrecked and stranded far from the harbors whence they had come. Although none of the town’s boats had suffered a fate like that, when the damaging tsunami surges were over - there was nowhere for them to return. The docks had been destroyed and elements of the artificial breakwater had been damaged so that there were pieces of it in the channel where they became water hazards.

There was nothing The Boys could do about the breakwater damage, but they did know enough about metalwork, woodwork, and electrical work to be of help in getting the dock area operational again. All of them had a good reputation in town now, because of their helpfulness. But, as Ryota expected, none of _the boys_ were available to help with the children. That didn’t turn out to be a problem though, as Fuko had secured some additional help, and the children seemed to be particularly well behaved on this little outing.

All of them. Even a particular little girl that was notorious for… mischief. And that made a number of the people in the group, both adults and children, a bit curious.

“Onii-chan, have you noticed that Maiko hasn’t done anything bad yet?” the younger Okazaki brother asked.

“Hey!” Maiko reacted from where she walked between the two Okazaki boys – holding their hands.

“Yes Shuji, I did. I thought for sure she was going to cross that rope to look at the damage to the dock.” the elder brother replied.

“I did not!” Maiko objected.

“Or run up to that house that looked like it had a fire.” Shuji suggested.

“I’m right here!” Maiko said as she squeezed their hands for emphasis, but they just kept walking. So now Maiko pleaded as she repeated, “I’m right here so… stop talking about me like that.”

“All right, Maiko-chan...” Shuichi started.

“...tell us why you’re being such a polite girl and following the rules.” Shuji added.

“And not running around as you please – like you usually do.” Shuichi finished.

“Ah! Is that really how you see me?” Maiko tried to sound hurt, but her sympathy play wouldn't work on the two boys that knew her as well as they did.

“Yes.” both of the Okazaki boys replied at the same time.

“Fine!” Maiko grumped in defeat and admitted to them, “It’s because Yuki-sensei is here.”

“Oba-Yuki?” Shuji asked but he didn’t need to look around for her. He knew that his aunt had joined Fuko and Sugisaka to shepherd all the children on this little outing.

“Yah… she’s Oba-Yuki or Yuki-chan now, but in a week or so when we go back to school, She’s gonna be our sensei.” Maiko said worriedly.

“So?” Yoichi asked.

“So! Don’t you see? That means she’ll know everything about whether we were good or bad during the break!” Maiko hissed.

“Uh, Maiko-chan… Oba-Yuki’s going to be a teacher… not Santa Claus.” Shuji told the worried girl to try and calm her down.

“I know that! But still… she’s going to be our teacher and she’ll know a lot about… me.” a disconsolate and embarrassed Maiko told them.

“If that’s it, then you shouldn’t worry so much about Oba-Yuki.” Shuji said.

“Why not?” Maiko was hoping that they would tell her that Yuki-sensei would be teaching a different class, but her anticipation was dashed by the other twin’s reply.

“Your mom is coming to teach at our school starting next month.” Shuichi replied.

“What! B… but Okāsan is an art teacher… at a high school! Why… why?” Maiko stammered.

“Kyou-mama says that art, music, and mathematics are related. So, she wants to bring art and music teachers in, to see if it helps our math scores.” Shuichi answered.

“Won’t it be fun… getting to see your mom at school every day like we do?” Shuichi asked brightly.

“Yeah… fun.” Maiko groaned.

 

**Sunday early morning, March 20 – Okazaki villa**

* * *

Tomoya was one of the first to rise and make it to the breakfast table. He was stunned to see his father already there, but corrected himself. _I was still thinking of the old man that got drunk all the time and slept through the mornings whenever he could. He’s… really doing a lot better now. He still looks really old for his age but…_ Tomoya’s thoughts that his father looked healthier than he had been in a while were halted when he noticed the tears at the old man’s eyes. Curiosity and compassion welled up for his father, but before he could ask anything, his grandmother came out of the kitchen with a platter of rice dumplings covered in red bean paste.

“Botamochi?” Kyou asked from behind Tomoya. She had also just arrived and hadn’t yet noticed Naoyuki’s sadness, but her mind was as sharp as ever. “Ah! It is Higan now, isn’t it!”

“It is. And since you are now officially _Okazaki_ Kyou, we would be honored if you would join us.” Shino, the matriarch of the Okazaki family asked politely.

“Of course.” Kyou made an acknowledging bow and said, as she left the room, “I’ll get the children ready.”

“If you would,” Shino called out to the departing Kyou, “please be sure to bring Ushio as well.”

“Yes.” Kyou agreed and hurried along. She wanted to quickly get away from the others before they noticed the embarrassment of her inconsideration on her face. She had not thought to include Ushio on her own. _She is Tomoya’s daughter too. Maybe not the Tomoya from this universe, but… I must think of her that way. To do anything less would be… unfair to Ushio._

 

“Higan.” Tomoya said the word as if it were a fairy tale while staring at the ripples of light that played across his dark coffee. The mesmerizing pattern helped him to recall back through the years to the time of his childhood. All while he was growing up, other children would go off with their families at this time to observe the rituals of Higan. The other kids with their families remembered and honored their ancestors and lost loved ones by washing the grave stones, putting down fresh flowers, and giving an offering of botamochi… rice dumplings covered in red bean paste. He had never partaken in any of those observances though. As a child, when he had asked why he and his father didn’t visit his mother’s gravestone, his father had told him that it was too far away, and would be too much trouble. _Trouble._ _W_ _ill there be trouble if I go there…_ _o_ _r if my father goes there?_

“Will this be your first time, Tomoya?” his grandmother asked him in the midst of his concerns.

“Yes.” Tomoya felt that he should apologize, but his elders beat him to it.

“It was my fault. I’m sorry, Tomoya. After your mother… died, I moved far away from here and…” Naoyuki’s apology was interrupted by his _own_ mother.

“Nonsense! It was my fault for not being stronger when my son needed me. The family told you to stay away and I should have fought for you. I shouldn’t have let that happen. I should have told them… I should have...” Shino turned away as shame colored her face and guilty tears came to her eyes.

“I don’t blame anyone… at least, I don’t blame anyone here. I know what it’s like to be in a situation where you’re afraid to act because you think it will just make everything worse.” Tomoya put his hand on his father’s shoulder and looked across the table at his grandmother, “So, let’s forget about all the regrets and mistakes of the past. It will be my first time, and the first time for my children too, so let’s make today a special day… for our family.”

Shino turned and looked at her grandson with gratitude. _Family!_ All of her life, it had seemed that the concept and the reality of _family_ was crumbling away from her and being forgotten. But now, in the fading years of her life, she had gotten her son back… and a grandson… and his growing family with several cheerful and wonderful grandchildren. She hadn’t realized how much _family_ had meant to her until she noticed how the burdensome feelings of loneliness and melancholy were lifted, whenever they visited.

“Thank you son.” Naoyuki put a hand on his son’s hand that was still on his shoulder. “It seems that I will spend the rest of my life, cherishing your forgiveness.”

“Egaa!” Tomoya pulled his hand away and stared suspiciously at his father, “That doesn’t sound like you at all! Have you been secretly replaced by an alien, or have you recently started reading poetry.”

“It’s not recent.” Shino told her grandson, “Japanese literature was one of your father’s best subjects, back when he was in school. In fact, his love for literature was one of the reasons that he met...”

“Your mother.” Naoyuki finished the sentence after his mother’s voice trailed off. Then he stood and looked at his son for a moment. “Since we are finally going to Higan, there is something you need to do.”

“Buy some flowers?” Tomoya offered.

“No, Yuki took care of that yesterday when she went shopping with the children.” Shino replied.

“Oh?” Tomoya looked puzzled as he turned his attention back to his father.

“You need to get dressed. Wear something nice. A kimono if you have one.” Naoyuki paused and put a hand on his son’s shoulder before he continued, “You’re going to meet your mother for the first time in a very long while. And… I want her to see the fine young man you have become. I want her to be as proud of you… as I am.”

“Yes.” Tomoya was stunned beyond words. Even with his training as a lawyer and recent venture into politics, the emotional onslaught was too much – and a monosyllable reply was all he could muster.

“Come, Tomoya-sama” Koumura’s ancient voice cut through the heavy mood in the room, I believe Sugisaka and I have found a suitable Kimono for you.”

Naoyuki’s arm dropped from Tomoya’s shoulder, but the proud smile stayed on his face.

“Thank you, Koumura.” Tomoya turned and left the room with his butler before raising his sleeve to blot the moisture from his eyes.

 

**Sunday late morning, March 20 – Local Cemetery in Hokkaido**

* * *

On a wind swept hillside that looked out over the Pacific Ocean, an ancient cemetery waited silently for visitors and mourners. Several columns of stone steps led down from the reflection gazebo atop the hill. Stone pathways radiated out from the steps to row upon row of ornate family graves. Some of the monuments were so old, the weathering had dulled their elaborate designs and rounded their edges. A few of them were of more elaborate red or black stone, while most were of a more modest gray. There were several groups of visitors that had come to this wind swept place on this Sunday morning, but no-one else was on the same row where the Okazaki monument was.

Tomoya was surprised to find out that the Okazaki grave was one of the older ones there. It was not so old that it had lost all of its ornateness or edges, but the weathering showed that it had been around for a very long time. It made sense after he thought about it though. Their family was established enough to be in the plum wine business after all. Tomoya had prepared to see something that would have been built about the time of his mother’s death, so the ancientness of the monument had been only a small shock for him.

“What is this?” Michiko asked innocently, when everyone came to a stop in front of a funny looking thing made of stone shapes. Her brothers seemed curious too, but not Ushio.

Ushio quietly held onto Tomoya’s hand and seemed saddened to be here at all. Tomoya noticed Ushio’s gloominess and picked her up into his arms. He had planned to ask her if something was bothering her, but she put her head down on his shoulder as if she were sleepy… or needed to cry. It then occurred to Tomoya that, of all the children present, Ushio was the only one that had already experienced going to a Japanese style cemetery… and it had been a very sad occasion. At her young age, she had already lost her mother, her father, and her grandmother. Even if it had never happened in this universe and she had been too young to remember losing all of them, the grave and the despair of loss were things that the little girl still remembered.

“Come around to me.” Kyou said to the other three children as she knelt to get closer to their level. When they were near enough that she didn’t have to raise her voice, she explained to them, “This whole place is a Japanese style cemetery. All of these monuments are Japanese style graves.”

“You mean there a bodies under all those stones?” Shuichi gasped.

“Not quite.” Kyou started to use her teacher voice to try and get them to understand more than what someone their age normally would. But the concept of cremation wasn’t something she was yet prepared to tackle with them. When she and her sister had found out what happened to the bodies of the dead when they were younger, the incineration aspect had given Ryou nightmares for weeks. Instead, she decided to skate around that part of the process, “In Japan, they don’t bury the body in the ground. They put the remains into an urn and the urn is placed in a crypt under this family monument. And there it will stay with other members of the same family. That is why they call it a family grave.”

Tomoya could feel Ushio stiffen in his arms as Kyou talked. He patted her back to try and comfort and reassure her.

“How big is the urn?” Shuji asked.

“It is about the size of a flower vase.” Kyou told him, but immediately realized her mistake. With his sharp mind, the next question would open up the topic she had intentionally left out.

“Hey!” Shuichi pointed past Kyou a ways up the hill, “Are those butterflies?”

“Where?” Michiko asked excitedly.

Kyou didn’t have to look to know that there probably weren’t any butterflies in such a wind swept place as this. But the sighting of butterflies was something that would always distract little Michiko. She dearly loved to watch them flutter around, but shrieked in fear when one of them would land on her. Everyone in the family knew about this… especially her brothers.

Shuji’s eyes opened wide as the realization hit him for why his brother suddenly distracted his sister. He looked up to Kyou-mama and she nodded her head in silent acknowledgment.

_Did onii-chan just…_

_Yes, he distracted your sister._

Knowing that he had almost caused his mother a lot of difficulty, Shuji looked down with regret.

Kyou reached out and patted Shuji’s head to let him know that he had done nothing wrong.

_Don’t be sad. I know you weren’t being mean to your sister._

Immediately, Shuji’s stature changed and the sparkle was back in his eyes. _Thank you, Okāsan!_

Kyou smiled and flicked her eyes in the direction of the other two children.

_Go play with the others. Your father and I have adult work to do now._

Shuji turned to join his siblings as Kyou stood back up with the pail full of cleaning supplies.

“Hey, let’s go look at the gazebo!” Shuji suggested.

“What’s a gazebo?” Michiko asked.

“It’s a fierce monster that eats people when they try to run away.” Shuichi answered with a smirk.

“Eek!” Michiko was a little afraid, but she was also aware of how her older brother liked to say funny things.

“No it’s not.” Shuji insisted.

“Sure it is. You can only kill it with fire or an ax. It’s immune to swords and arrows. That sounds like a monster doesn’t it?” Shuichi replied.

“Onii-chaaaaan!” Shuji put his fists to the sides of his head and demanded, “You shouldn’t say things like that. You’re just going to scare Michiko.”

“It’s okay, nii-chan. I’ll come see the gazebo… and I promise I won’t run away.” Michiko bravely told Shuji.

Kyou watched with pride as Shuji took his sister’s hand and led her toward the stone stairs that would take them to the top of the hill and to the dreaded… gazebo.

“Just a minute, Shuichi.” Tomoya called out as he set Ushio back down on her feet.

“Yes?” the older brother worried that he had upset his father with his little prank for a moment. But then he saw Ushio’s face and wondered why she seemed so sad.

“Take Ushio with you.” Tomoya switched to English so Ushio wouldn’t understand his next comments, #She is sad because she had to go to a cemetery to say goodbye to someone who was dear to her. Try to cheer her up and watch over her. Can you do that?#

#Yes, Papa.# Shuichi replied to his father then turned to Ushio and held out his hand to her, “Come with me. I’ll take you to a place where we can play.”

Ushio looked back to Tomoya, who gave her a nod of approval. Then she took Shuichi’s hand and said, “Okay!” before hurrying back toward the stone steps to catch up with Shuji and Michiko.

 

“We’ll go watch over the children.” Shino said as she took Naoyuki’s arm and moved off toward the stone stairs… at a substantially slower and more careful pace than the children. Tomoya and Kyou watched until the children made it up the steps, then Tomoya turned to his lavender haired wife with a wry grin.

“Kotomi is going to turn you into a science project when she gets back.” Tomoya warned Kyou.

“Huh? Why do you say that?” Kyou turned to see Tomoya hiding an amused smile behind his hand.

“I was watching just now. You just had a whole conversation with Shuji that didn’t use any words. It was just the two of you reading each other.” Tomoya pointed out.

“Yeah… so?” Kyou didn’t think anything of it. She communicated with all three of the kids like that, so it wasn’t anything special to her.

“Kotomi can’t do that.” Tomoya’s snicker came back, “She’ll be convinced it’s telepathy!”

“I am not going to let her dissect my head!” Kyou said firmly.

“She would never do such a thing.” Tomoya told her in mock astonishment that Kyou would suggest such a thing.

“Well, that’s good because…” Kyou started to lecture her husband.

“Unless… she thought she could learn something new from it.” Tomoya teased.

Kyou said nothing, but turned to face Tomoya with an expression that was a mixture of anger and pout… and just a little fear that Kotomi just might actually try something like that.

Tomoya thought Kyou’s expression cute and even precious, but he could also see that it was time to stop teasing her. He ended the snickering and put his arms out to her for an apologetic hug.

“I think I know where Shuichi gets his tendency to tease from.” Kyou said accusingly… but she stepped into the open arms anyway.

 

For the better part of an hour, Tomoya pulled away vines and weeds while Kyou washed the old family grave. At the top of the hill, Naoyuki and Shino sat together in the gazebo while they watched over the playing children. Shino smiled while she watched them chase each other about and listened to the sounds of young ones having fun, but Naoyuki seemed lost in melancholy. Shino held Naoyuki’s hand and wished that her son could be cheered up as easily as little Ushio, but he was an old man now and had the regrettable experience of growing old without the person he had loved. That pain still ran deep, but it did soothe his soul to watch his grandchildren at play, if just a bit.

From down the hillside where they toiled to clean the old monument, Tomoya and Kyou could tell from the squeals and peals of laughter that Michiko was no longer afraid of gazebos any more.

“That looks good. We can get the others now.” Tomoya said after returning from carrying away a bundle of vegetation.

“You go ahead and get them. I’d like a moment alone… to talk to your mom.” Kyou said.

“Okay.” Tomoya wished he could stay and hear whatever it was Kyou was about to say. Kyou had never been particularly superstitious, so her request had come as a bit of a shock for him. “Is… everything all right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Go get the others.” Kyou replied while making shooing motions with her hands.

Tomoya could tell that, whatever this was, it was important to her. So he picked up the bucket with the cleaning supplies and headed for the stone stairs. Kyou waited until Tomoya made it to the stairs before she turned back to the freshly cleaned gravestones.

“Hello Okazaki-san.” Kyou started as soon as Tomoya started walking away, but realized the flaw in her plans to have this chat. Laying her hand on the cold stone she said, “I guess everyone here is an Okazaki-san, huh. I want to talk to the wife of Naoyuki-san and the mother of Tomoya-kun. I am… was Fujibayashi Kyou until I married your son. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to see him grow up, but he is a wonderful young man now and he has beautiful children. They would be your grandchildren if you were here now. All of them are here today, and you will meet them soon. But, there is something I wanted to let you know… something I am still uncomfortable about. You see, I… I am not Tomoya’s first wife and I’m not the biological mother of _any_ of his children. But, I love all of them… I really do! I think I fell in love with Tomoya the first time I met him, even if I didn’t admit it to myself for a while. You see… it was back when we were in high school and I did some… foolish things. But he forgave me for them and… that just made me love him more. And the children… some people say I shouldn’t feel this way, but I can’t help it – I’ve been with three of them since they were born and I think of them as my own. There is a fourth… her name is Ushio and she… is a special case. I think of her as a beloved niece but, for certain reasons, you should think of her as your granddaughter too. I love them all so very much, and I hope you will like them too.”

“Slow down Michiko.” Shino’s voice called out from higher up the stairs, “These stone steps are older than I am and not necessarily in better shape.”

“But Kyou-mama is all alone.” the little girl’s voice replied as if that were sufficient justification to ignore her great-grandmother’s cautions and run as fast as her feet could carry her.

Kyou heard all of this after she had finished her little chat with Tomoya’s mother. She took a deep breath as she heard the quick footsteps racing toward her on the stone path. As an adult, she knew she would have to reprimand the little girl for ignoring the warnings of an elder. She caught Michiko up in her arms and held her tight for a moment.

“Kyou-mama?” Michiko loved to get hugs, but this one was a lot tighter than how Kyou-mama usually hugged her.

“I’m really glad that you came to me so I wouldn’t be alone but… it would make me so sad if you got hurt because you didn’t listen to Obāsan Shino.” Kyou said softly.

“Oh!” Michiko understood that she was being admonished, despite Kyou’s embrace and gentle words, “I’m sowwy.”

“It’s okay,” Kyou pulled little Michiko in a little tighter and kissed her on the top of the head, “I’m not mad at you, but I want you to stay healthy and safe – just like Ojiisan Naoyuki and Obāsan Shino. That’s why I want you to listen to them when they tell you things. Okay?”

“Okay!” Michiko brightened up after Kyou had told her that she wasn’t mad.

“Now, I want to introduce you to someone.” Kyou said as she pulled back from the hug so she could look into Michiko’s blue eyes.

“Who?” Michiko asked with excitement.

“Do you remember the picture of the man standing in the field of flowers? The man looked like your father, but it was really your Ojiisan from a long time ago.” Kyou started her spiel after Shuji and Shuichi had arrived with Ushio and Tomoya. Naoyuki and Shino were close, but not up to the gravestone yet.

“I remember. The flowers were real pretty.” Michiko replied.

“Do you remember the picture of that man standing next to a lady?” Kyou asked.

“Yes! She was real pretty too, just like the flowers!” Michiko’s smile beamed with the memory of those fields of flowers. “Is she here now? Is she the one I’m going to meet?”

Naoyuki said nothing but closed his eyes at the innocent yet painful question.

“In a way. You see… that wonderful and pretty lady died a long time ago, and her spirit is here now… at the Okazaki grave.” Being careful not to use the word, “ghost”, Kyou watched Michiko carefully to see how she would take this.

“She is?” Michiko turned with wide eyes and looked hard at the family monument.

“You can’t see her or hear her, but you can talk to her… if you want to.” Kyou explained. She glanced past Michiko and saw that the boys were also gazing at the old Okazaki monument. But behind them, Naoyuki seemed to be leaning heavily on Tomoya. His face contorted from the sorrow of painful memories as he tried to hold back the tears.

“What should I say?” Michiko asked.

“You can say anything you like, but there are a few special things that she might want to hear from you.” Kyou looked up to the other three children and added, “From all of you, really. You see, this Obāsan died when your father was about your age and she doesn’t know much about him growing up or what he’s like now. I’m pretty sure your Ojiisan will want to tell her all about him growing up, so why don’t you introduce yourselves and tell her what your father is like. I’m sure she would love to hear all about that.”

“I… I don’t know.” Michiko’s shyness started to present itself, but her brothers had become used to handling this by now.

“We can tell her together.” Shuji took Michiko’s hand as Kyou released her and stood up next to Tomoya. She watched as Shuichi took his little sister’s other hand and the three of them faced the tall stone pillar at the back of the monument.

“I am Okazaki Shuichi. I am the oldest of the Okazaki children. I’m almost seven years old now.” he turned to his brother and nodded.

“I’m Okazaki Shuji. I was born on the same day as onii-chan.” Shuji then whispered to a fidgeting Michiko, “Tell her about how you are about to go to school.”

“Oh yeah!” Michiko said with a start. She launched into her introduction and ran on to how she was excited to be starting school with her brothers, how she liked a boy named Yoichi, and many other things.

After several minutes had gone by and it didn’t seem that Michiko was running out of things to say, Tomoya turned to Kyou with a look of bewilderment.

_What is going on here?_

_I have no idea._

_Is she ever going to stop?_

_I don’t know._

_I think Shuji’s prompt worked a little too well._

_Ya think?_

 

**Friday evening, March 25 – Sunohara Home**

* * *

It had been another long day for Youhei. Since he had so much experience in handling the crowd control for the Ichinose projects, his superiors decided to put him in charge of the security for the refugees that had come to their community from the flood blighted regions to the north-east. He knew it was an important task and the fact that he was being relied on for this was a good thing, but… _crowd control_ wasn’t the reason he had wanted to become a detective.

 _At this point, even the drudge work of rev_ _iewing old case files_ _would be_ _more interesting than what_ _I’m_ _doing now._ Being honest with himself, he admitted that the old case file work would be the more boring of the two tasks, but at least it would be a better use of his talent.

_My talent. Hmpf!_

The thought of that alleged talent of his, made him more despondent. Youhei had never thought of his ability to get to the bottom of things as some kind of special talent, until Tomoyo had cornered him and forced him to become a member of the disciplinary committee back in high school. Other members of the student council and the disciplinary committee had both thought that Tomoyo was nuts for putting a delinquent like Sunohara Youhei into that role, but she had been proved right. His brief work on that job had been ‘inspired’ according to the chairman of the disciplinary committee. And, that had been the opinion of his instructors at the Police Academy as well.

Youhei was thinking about the old days at the high school and how Tomoyo had started off as his bane, and yet had ended up giving his life some direction. He knew that, between Tomoyo and Yukine, his life had taken a radical turn from where it might have ended up. And right now, that turn had put him in a job with long and exhausting hours. It had been another long day and he had released the uniformed officers that had been assigned to him, after their relief had shown up. A new shift would be taking over until the early hours of the morning so that he and his men could get some rest. He was thankful for that, and greatly anticipating getting some well deserved, if lonely rest. Unfortunately, his reminiscing and anticipation daydreams had blinded his situational awareness.

He stopped because the street ahead of him was full of people. Angry people. It only took him a moment to figure out that these people were many of the refugees that had been put into temporary housing on the edge of town. The only people that didn’t seem angry were an old man and a few teen-aged workers from the small grocery store in the middle of the street… and they looked terrified.

“What’s going on?” Youhei asked in a casual voice.

“Run away, little man… if you know what’s good for you.” said a brawny looking man who was, in truth, not a lot taller than Youhei.

“All right, listen up!” Youhei said in a commanding voice as he pulled back his jacket to reveal the badge that was clipped to his belt. “I am Prefecture Detective Sunohara. I just got off work and all I want to do is go home and get some sleep, so I don’t have any plans on making this official… but I will if I have to. Now someone tell me, what’s going on here?”

Some of the people in the crowd took a step back. A few quietly started to leave. But others didn’t seem to care who he was.

“We’re just going to teach these jerks a lesson that they can’t starve us.” an angry man said.

“No!” the old man wearing the shop apron cried out, “We’re not trying to starve anyone. We don’t have anything left to sell.”

“That’s a lie!” an old woman in the crowd yelled, “They have bundles of food in the back of the store. I saw it!”

“Is that so?” Youhei asked the shop owner.

“Yes detective.” the old man admitted, “But those bundles are already sold to my regular customers. They come in late on the trains and this is their dinner. I can’t sell those!”

“Liar! He’s just hoarding so he can raise the prices on us.” the old woman screeched.

“Ojisan would never do that!” one of the teens yelled back.

“Shut up brat, you’re in this with him!” the angry man yelled and threw something that hit the teen and knocked her down.

The other teen dropped to help her and the old man stood in front of the two. “Please, stop!” the old man pleaded.

“That’s it!” Youhei reached for his police radio, but it wasn’t there. He had already turned it over to the person who had relieved him. He still had his gun, but he really didn’t want to have to use that on a crowd of hungry people. “Everyone get back. He’s already explained that the food here is already sold. If there isn’t enough food at the relief center, there are proper ways to deal with that. I will make sure that your complaints make it to the right...”

Something hard hit the side of Youhei’s head and he had a hard time staying on his feet. His vision blurred and he could feel blood running down his face. Worse, it seemed that the crowd was pushing in and turning into a mob. And his police training told him that once they were a mob, it would be easy for them to become a riot. He knew that he absolutely couldn’t use his gun now. Nothing would convert a mob into a riot faster than the sound of a gunshot.

_So, I’m gonna have to take a beating again. I just hope the old man and the kids got out of here._

“Ojisan, what do we do?” Youhei heard the young boy’s scared voice.

“Go… the two of you, go lock yourselves in the bathroom. Hurry!” the old man tried to save them, but it was too late.

The crowd knew that they could easily overpower the lone cop and the old man. The angry man and a few others surged forward and two of them had blows aimed at Youhei.

Unfortunately, Youhei hadn’t yet recovered from the blow to his head. His vision was blurry and his legs felt like they would give out at any moment. He put his hands into a defensive posture, but he knew his chances of blocking even a single blow would be infinitesimally small. He was therefore convinced that he was hallucinating when all of the men closing on him were suddenly kicked into the air by a silver haired blur. His legs gave out then and he sank to his knees. His vision was still to blurry to see, but he could still hear some of the things that were going on around him.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Ahm da guy wats foldin you up now.” a gruff voice replied.

“Ah! My body doesn’t… fold that way!” a panicked man’s voice cried out.

“Ya shudda thot o dat bafore ya hurt mah friend.”

“Get your hands off my husband!” a voice shrieked.

 _Paf!_ The impact sound was followed by the _thud_ of a body falling into the street.

“You bastard! You hit my wife!”

“Dat wus a woman? Sorry, ah couldn tell.”

“You bastard… No! AHHHHHHH!” the scream almost concealed the snapping sound of something breaking. Almost…

“Youhei, are you okay? Are you in pain?” Tomoyo’s voice called to him from nearby, and he could feel a cool wet cloth dabbing at his head.

“Blurry vision… head wound.” his training kicked in and he reported the injuries he was aware of. Then he added, “But is doesn’t hurt as much as one of your kicks.”

“Heh, I’ve heard stories about that. So Tomoyo really did use to kick a cop around.” Isamu’s voice chuckled.

“He wasn’t a cop back then and… I regret all of that, so I wish you wouldn’t bring it up any more.” Tomoyo sounded uncharacteristically embarrassed.

“Tomoyo…” Youhei reached out and took the hand that had been blotting the blood running from his scalp, “I don’t regret it. I did a lot of stupid things back then and you were one of the people that helped me to change. Whether it was kicking me for being an idiot, or pulling me up out of my slump, or pushing me into something I never would have done on my own… everything you did – helped me to become the person I am… with the wife that I love… and my own family. So please… don’t regret it too much.”

“That’s real sweet detective,” Isamu’s heavy voice said, “and I do appreciate you forgivin my Tomoyo and all… but could ya let go of my hand now?”

“Huh?” Youhei tried to blink away the blurriness in his vision but it would take a few more minutes before his eyes would work right again.

“It’s getting a little embarrassin and if my friends see this I’m gonna get some funny nicknames – ya know?” Isamu said quietly as he tugged his hand to get it away from Youhei.

“Ah!” Youhei let go of the hand and started spluttering, “Sorry! I thought… I…”

“Youhei, try to relax now.” Tomoyo’s calm voice said as he felt another cool cloth on his head. “You’re making it bleed more. That rock caught you good. You’re probably going to need stitches.”

“That’s okay.” Youhei was brought back to his professional bearing by Tomoyo’s calm words and his concerns went back to a professional track as well, “How are the shopkeeper and the two kids?”

“They are safe. The shop is shuttered and locked now.” Tomoyo then asked, “Are you ready to head home?”

“Uh...” Youhei thought about asking what happened to the mob, but he thought better of it. From what he remembered hearing and Isamu’s mention of his _friends_ … it might be best to forget any of this had happened. Instead he asked, “What about the stitches?”

“I’ll see if Ryou can come over to your place for a bit.” Tomoyo then reconsidered what she was thinking. She knew that Youhei’s son and wife were in Hokkaido with the Okazaki family so she had to ask, “It is clean at your place… isn’t it?”

“Hey, I’m not still a sloppy teenager! It’s clean...” Youhei said defensively. Then he remembered that he hadn’t finished doing his laundry and there were piles of dirty clothes in the living room… and he hadn't washed the dishes recently… or taken out the trash... Reconsidering the state of his home, he grumpily added, “...more or less.”

 

Isamu and Tomoyo were stunned when Youhei opened the door and they were greeted with the smell of a freshly cooked meal coming from inside. But Youhei was the most surprised. He had just talked to Yukine earlier in the day and she wasn’t due to return home for another two days. And yet, as if by magic, his little house was clean and a dinner smelled like it was about ready to be served.

“Did Yukine come back early?” Tomoyo asked.

“No, I don’t think...” Youhei started to reply, but the riddle was answered for everyone when a shriek came from down the hallway until it collided with Youhei in the living room.

“Onii-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” Youhei’s _little_ sister Mei shouted as she collided with him and lifted him into the air. She was still the younger sister, but at a little over 180 centimeters, he was no longer able to call her his _little_ sister any more. Especially when she was hugging him and swinging him around in the little room.

“Mei, careful!” Tomoyo admonished the sister’s exuberance, “He has a head wound.”

“What!” Mei stopped immediately and looked worriedly at her cherished brother while lowering him onto one of the chairs in the living room. “What happened?”

“I’m fine.” Youhei tried to wave it off but Tomoyo wasn’t allowing that.

“He is not fine. He has a laceration on his scalp that has been bleeding quite a bit. Ryou is on her way over to dress the wound.” Tomoyo relayed the facts to Mei while she and Isamu remained standing near the foyer.

“We… should be going.” Isamu suggested since it seemed that Mei already had their dinner ready.

“No, please stay!” Mei realized why Tomoyo and Isamu were hesitant and told them earnestly, “I brought a lot of vegetables from the farmers’ market where my family lives. I was going to make a lot of prepared meals for Onii-chan, so there is plenty of food.”

“Mei… what are you doing here?” Youhei finally got out, but he could see that she was a little hurt by the question and hastily added, “Not that I don't want you here… I do! But, I thought you were at home with the family?”

“I was, but they were all busy helping out with the local refugee facility. And, when I told them about my important brother that couldn't get away from his work long enough to visit home on the holiday, they gave me a lot of stuff and told me to make sure you were eating well. So, here I am!” Mei gushed with her words mirroring her excitement. But the excitement faded quickly to concern when she saw her brother's pale face and half open eyes. “Onii-chan?”

Youhei fell over with his head in Mei's lap, but he was in no condition to be either excited or embarrassed by it.

“Youhei!” Tomoyo shouted as she grabbed for his neck and his wrist.

“Onii-chan!” Mei screamed and grabbed onto her brother's shoulders before his body slid off the couch and onto the floor.

Isamu grabbed Youhei's ankles and lifted them high into the air to get the blood back to his heart and his head. At the same time, Tomoyo ripped open Youhei's shirt and put her head to his chest.

“Tomoyo-san, what do we do?” Mei pleaded.

“Be calm.” Tomoyo told the panicking imouto while she listened at Youhei's chest and pulled out her cell phone, “I couldn't feel a pulse at his neck or his wrist, but I can hear a heartbeat. I'm no doctor, but my guess would be blood loss. Fujibayashi Ryou is on her way now. I'll let her know.”

 

**Friday late evening, March 25 – Okazaki villa**

* * *

Nagisa was almost asleep next to Ushio when she heard her phone ringing. She answered it quickly since the only people that called her were her friends, her family, and her agent. And this time would be no different. She felt an immediate thrill when she heard Ryou's voice on the phone.

“Hey Nagisa… are you in a place where no-one else can hear you?” Ryou asked quietly.

“Fuko and Ushio are the only other ones in the room and they're asleep. Why?” Nagisa could hear the concern in her girlfriend's voice and she felt the former thrill instantly become fear. “Ryou, what's wrong?”

“Youhei got hurt tonight. He lost a lot of blood.” Ryou decided to start with the facts.

“Is he in the hospital?” Nagisa asked.

“No… all the hospitals are full right now. I'm with Tomoyo and Isamu at Sunohara's house. Mei is here too.” Ryou said quietly.

But… he might die! Why are all the hospitals full? I thought the news said that not that many people were hurt because of the government's warning.” Nagisa demanded.

“It wasn't just healthy people that were evacuated, Nagisa. A lot of hospitals and convalescent facilities were hit by the flood waters.” Ryou tried to stay calm, but she had been up for too many hours and questions like this reminded her of the patients and families of patients that thought that they would get better care if they asked lots of questions. Feeling like she was about to blow up at her girlfriend, she pulled the phone away from her head and took several deep breaths.

“Ryou?” Nagisa could hear the deep breaths through the cell phone and knew that her dear Ryou was probably very stressed out, “Ryou, are you okay?”

“I…” Ryou was about to lie and say that she was okay, but she could hear the concern in the question and decided that she couldn't lie to Nagisa, “I need some sleep pretty bad. I'm so tired.”

“Oh Ryou… I wish I was there to take care of you. I never should have come out here!” Nagisa said guiltily.

“No… I'm glad you're somewhere safe. It's been pretty crazy here recently, so it really helped me to know that you and Ushio were safe.” But now Ryou had to be honest and she had to ask her girlfriend to do something very difficult, “You should come home soon though. And Yukine… she should come home as quickly as she can.”

“As quickly…” Nagisa's mouth dropped open when she understood the meaning of what Ryou had said, “Ryou, is it that bad? Is he going to die?”

“There is… that possibility. Tomoyo raided the warehouse where we kept the medical gear for the project, so I was able to do quite a bit here. But… there is a chance that… Head injuries always have that chance. Yukine should know…” Ryou said as she looked down at Youhei's supine body with tubes running into his nose, down his throat, and in both of his wrists. It reminded her how pathetic her own state was – that she was too exhausted to cry for her friend.

“I'll go talk to Yukine now. You… get some rest. Okay? Ryou?” Nagisa stopped calling Ryou's name when she heard the sound of soft snoring coming over the connection. Then it was time to move. First, she put the cell phone down on the small table, then she turned to check on Ushio.

The darling little girl was still fast asleep and Nagisa was glad for it. She knew that she hadn't been able to keep her voice down during the conversation with Ryou, but apparently she hadn't been loud enough to wake the little girl. Carefully disentangling the child from her, she crawled out of bed and checked on Fuko. The woman in the child-like body was still curled up on the futon where she had been earlier. Facing the other direction, Nagisa couldn't see Fuko's face, but she was quiet and her body was still. Careful not to wake either of them, Nagisa tiptoed out of the room to go find Yukine.

The lamp from the hallway made a triangle of golden light that reached across the small bedroom to the little girl on the bed, but it missed the older girl on the futon. As quietly closed the door, the triangle of light became narrower, turned to a sliver, and was gone. The room was dark again but for the little bit of yellow light that came in under the door, and the blue-white starlight from the window. The moon had not yet risen, but the light from the stars twinkled as they reflected in Fuko's wet eyes.

Fuko's face was toward the window, so Nagisa hadn't seen the tears falling from dark eyes down bright cheeks. _No! Not Sunohara-san. He remembered Fuko. He is a good person. Please… please, not him!_

“Huh?” Ushio woke up and realized that she was alone in the bed. She sat up and saw that Fuko was still there and somehow knew that the older girl was awake. “Fuko-chan?”

“Ushio-chan, did I wake you up?” Fuko rubbed at her eyes to hide her tears, even though they were nearly invisible in the dark room.

“No. I just woke up feeling alone.” Ushio said as she looked down at the empty spot where her mother was supposed to be.

“Nagisa-chan will be back soon.” Fuko then offered, “Do you want to cuddle with me until she comes back?”

“Yup!” Ushio crawled off the bed and over to the futon where Fuko had the blanket raised for her.

“Come on in and warm up with me.” Fuko felt her heart lighten a bit when Ushio snuggled in close, but she was still full of worry about Youhei. _Thinking of Sunohara-san and Ushio next to me… how will I ever get to sleep?_

 

Thirty minutes later, Nagisa came back into the bedroom to find Fuko and Ushio together on the futon, and both of them fast asleep.

 

**Saturday early morning, March 26 – Sunohara Home**

* * *

Tomoyo had found Ryou collapsed on Youhei's bed and had moved her to a futon on the floor. Then she had taken Ryou's place beside Youhei's bed to stand vigil. Ryou had told both her and Isamu what to look for. They were to wake her if Youhei seemed to be struggling in any way, or if he woke up. And frankly, if he woke up, he _would_ be struggling. Being intubated was not a natural state.

But that had been several hours ago and it was now Isamu's turn to take the watch. No stranger to working through the night, Isamu armed himself with a carafe sized cup of coffee. He came into the room to find Tomoyo nodding off in the chair. He didn't blame her for it. She had just gone through a very long day of her own and hadn't had any sleep yet.

“Hey.” he said quietly, so as not to wake up Ryou.

“Hmm?” Tomoyo blinked a couple of times before she could focus on Isamu's face, “What are you doing in here?”

“It's my turn to watch Sunohara-san. Go get some rest.” Isamu said as he put the coffee down and pulled Tomoyo up and out of the chair.

“Where will I…” Tomoyo looked blearily around the room but there didn't seem to be much floor space for her to lie down.

“In the kid's room. Mei has a futon in there that's big enough for the two of you… probably.” Isamu gave her a little push toward the open doorway, but kissed her before she left the room.

Just as he was sitting down, he heard her voice from the doorway once again.

“Where are you going to sleep?” Tomoyo asked.

“I'm not gonna sleep. I'm gonna sit right here and watch Sunohara-san until the sun comes up.” Isamu told her softly. He smiled as he watched her confusion slowly fade to understanding. _She's so cute when she's barely awake._

“Oh yeah… right.” Tomoyo waved and shuffled off to the other bedroom to find a place to lie down.

Isamu took a sip of his coffee and decided to check on Youhei. He had been through Ryou's first-aid class. She called it a first-aid class, but it was a hell of a lot more in-depth than band-aids and aspirins. His pulse was stronger than before, but still a little weak. It wasn't possible to tell if his breathing was good since a machine was doing that for him, but his temperature had returned to normal… and that was a good sign.

“All I can do now is sit and wait for you to wake up.” Isamu said aloud to the unconscious Sunohara. But that wasn't all he planned to do. Having found some of Sunohara's old manga collection, he started in on one that seemed interesting.

 

After reading _Fortunate Star_ for a while, Isamu was bored. _This looks like a bad ripoff of something else._ It had seemed interesting at first – a story about four high school girls and their everyday life. But there never seemed to be any plot or character development, even after reading several of the chapters. In disgust, he set that one aside and picked up another one that he had selected. Although he wasn't really into horror stories, the cover of _Death Tone_ looked like it might pique his interest.

That had been over an hour ago and the tale that the manga told was… disturbing. It certainly had more plot than the previous selection, but the artistry was so gory and graphic, and the eerie, supernatural story that accompanied that art – created an atmosphere that shook up even a hardened ex-gangster like Isamu. He started noticing every little sound in the old house. The old fashioned clock on the far wall made a ticktock sound with each second. In the busyness of the daytime, it couldn’t be heard, but now – in this dark and quiet room, each tick seemed like a rap on a snare drum. But it wasn’t the only sound. Rafters in the attic would groan, a light whistle of wind through the windows, floorboards creaked as if an unseen person was trying to walk quietly through the house. And then his eyes seemed to be playing tricks on him.

A small lamp lit the book he was reading – but that cast huge shadows around the rest of the room. Shadows where it seemed like things were moving or watching him. More than once, he would redirect the lamplight into the dark places just to placate his agitated mind. There was never anything there, of course. But that stirred yet another disquieting feeling. With Youhei asleep on a bed right in front of him and Ryou asleep on a futon in the same room, Isamu shouldn’t have felt alone, and yet…

_No! I cannot let myself get shaken like this. I am a grown man. There is nothing strange in this house. Hell, I rebuilt this house! That's right! Me and my buddies from the old gang rebuilt just about every part of this house except the foundation. So there's nothing strange here…_

The attempt to calm himself down backfired a bit.

_...the foundation._

One of the horrific stories in the manga he had been reading was a tale of revenge from the undead for the desecration of a home being built over an ancient burial ground. Angry spirits would rise up from beneath the foundation – right into the home where people were sleeping or otherwise distracted.

 _Stop it! That’s just a made up story. This is the real world and supernatural stuff like that doesn’t happen here. This is just another old house on a street full of old houses. There’s nothing to be afraid of in here._ _I should only have another couple of hours until daybreak and then all this spookiness will just be a silly memory._ Isamu had done a good job of calming himself down. To confirm his last calming thought, he raised the lamp to look at the old wall clock on the opposite wall but he couldn’t see the face of it clearly. After he rubbed his tired eyes a bit, he tried again but it was still fuzzy as if something was in the way. His eyes changed focus and what he saw almost made him jump out of his skin.

Two disembodied brown eyes appeared to be staring back at him from the other side of the bed where Sunohara lay. Or rather, they seemed to be looking at Sunohara… and they looked sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> **Ikiryo** :  1\. a spirit that is sent out for revenge, 2 .  the spirit manifestation of someone who is asleep or unconscious .  Fuko manifested the latter type of ikiryo when she was in her coma.
> 
> **Imouto** : little sister.


	14. A Fuko Rich Environment

**Saturday early morning, March 26 – Sunohara Home**

* * *

Ryou awoke quickly when she thought she heard a shout. There was a bit of disorientation when she tried to figure out where she was. Her mind cleared up instantly when she stood up and saw Youhei’s body on the bed. Intravenous tubes were taped into both arms and another tube ran into his mouth to help him breathe. All of this looked normal to Ryou, as well as the readouts on the monitoring equipment and Youhei's general appearance.

What didn't look normal was Isamu. Ryou stepped over to the light switch about the time both Mei and Tomoyo showed up at the door. The two taller girls easily looked over Ryou's head into the room.

“Why are you guys up?” Ryou asked.

“We heard a shout.” Mei replied.

“Isamu's shout.” Tomoyo said as she pushed past Ryou and went to Isamu's side. He looked terrified and his eyes seemed to be fixed on the opposite wall. She put her arm around him and gently asked, “Isamu, what is it?”

He couldn't speak, but he could move. His arm raised and pointed at the barely visible eyes still floating in the air on the other side of Youhei's body.

“Oh!” Tomoyo gasped when her eyes were able to focus on something that shouldn’t be there.

“EEEEEEEEK!” Mei screamed, “What is it? Get it away from my Onii-chan!”

“Hush!” Ryou ordered, “Tomoyo, get Isamu and Mei out of here.”

“WHAT!” Mei reacted angrily to being told to leave her brothers bed side – especially when something scary was in the room with his body. But Tomoyo had her arm already and she wouldn't be getting any closer.

“Isamu, get Mei into the hall. I will explain when we get there.” Tomoyo ordered. Fortunately, the muscle memory in Isamu's body had been programmed to respond to Tomoyo like a well trained recruit reacts to the orders from a drill sergeant. Without thinking it through, he rose from his seat, grabbed the taller Mei and dragged her out of the room. Tomoyo followed a moment later and closed the door behind her.

“Let go of me! Onii-chan is in danger! Let go!” Mei was screaming, struggling, and hitting Isamu with her fists, but he showed no reaction to the pummeling.

Tomoyo was on Isamu's heels. She had thought of trying to talk Mei out of her hysteria, but watching the abuse s that was being heaped on Isamu made her decide to go for a more direct approach.

_SLAP!_

The sound of the slap echoed up and down the hall. Even if it wasn't at her full strength, it may have been a little harsh to slap Mei as hard as she did. However, Tomoyo justified the hand-print she left on the younger girl's face with the need to knock the panic out of Mei so she would be able to listen.

“To… Tomoyo? Why did you slap me?” Mei held the side of her face where it stung like it was on fire, but she was no longer struggling against Isamu's grapple any more.

“You need to listen to me now.” Tomoyo also looked at Isamu and reiterated, “You _both_ need to listen to me.”

Neither of them said anything, but they were both looking at Tomoyo now, and paying very careful attention.

“First of all, your brother is _not_ in trouble. What you saw in there is no danger to him.” Tomoyo stated firmly.

“It's not?” Mei seemed doubtful that something so strange could be harmless, but relieved that Tomoyo at least knew something about it. Still, she wondered…

“What is it?” Isamu asked.

“Do you…” Tomoyo watched for their reactions carefully while she attempted the old trick, “Do you remember Fuko?”

_REMEMBER FUKO_

Tomoyo had spoken softly, yet the old key-phrase that they had used for years seemed to echo strangely. The phrase that had helped so many to recall their own memory of the ikiryo affected the two differently. For Isamu, it was as if someone had gently reminded him about something he should have remembered. But for Mei, it was as if a blow had suddenly knocked the wind out of her lungs.

 

Back in the bedroom, Ryou had moved around to the other side of the bed from the disembodied brown eyes. She smiled up at them and told the forming ikiryo, “It's okay Fuko-chan. I am happy to see you again.”

Fuko's form began to solidify much faster. It was as if Ryou's words were some kind of magic spell that welcomed an otherworldly spirit into this plane of existence.

Ryou watched as the outline of the head completed, the hair became detailed and the torso and arms began to take shape and form into the recognizable spirit that she had know for many years. Still wearing the Hikarizaka High School winter uniform from a decade ago, she also still had the same youthful appearance. Ryou reached out her hands across the bed and watched as the outline hands took hers, then quickly filled out into hands, arms, and sleeves.

“Fuko didn't mean to scare anyone.” Fuko said apologetically.

“I know. Fuko-chan is not a bad girl.” Ryou replied, then asked, “Why did you come here so suddenly? Your body is in Hokkaido right now, right? Isn't this very difficult for you?”

“Fuko heard Ryou-chan talking to Nagisa-chan on the telephone. Nagisa-chan thought Fuko was asleep, but Fuko was not! Fuko heard everything and Fuko got very sad and very frightened for Youhei-kun!” Fuko sounded angry as if she was upset that others were trying to keep secrets from her. But her anger faltered when she saw the hurt look on Ryou's face.

“So… you're sleeping in the same room with Nagisa?” Ryou asked.

“Yes. Ushio is in the room with us too. Fuko wanted Yasuo-kun…” Fuko saw a tear slide down Ryou's cheek and worried that she had said something bad, “Fuko did not mean to make Ryou-chan cry!”

“You didn't say anything mean.” Ryou wiped the tears away with her sleeve and told Fuko, “It's just that… I miss Nagisa and Ushio so much!”

“Oh! Fuko is very sorry for making Ryou-chan sad, but Fuko is very worried about Youhei-kun.” Fuko looked down from Ryou then and her eyes swept across the sleeping man with bandages around his head and tubes running into his mouth and arms. “Fuko does not like to see Youhei-kun like this. Is he going to be okay?”

“I’ll know more in the morning. My first concern was the blood loss. At first I was worried about bone damage, but Tomoyo tells me that his skull is as tough as cast iron. But Fuko all of this can wait, I need to know...” Ryou was interrupted by the door opening and three people gazing in from the hallway.

“Fuko-chan, I’m sorry I was afraid.” Mei said plaintively. Her eyes were open wide, which could have been a sign of fear. But her pout, her posture, and the way she was wringing her hands – all of these things mate it clear that she was sorrowful and apologetic for her earlier reaction. Earnestly, she told the school uniformed ikiryo, “I do remember Fuko. I promise I do!”

“I remember Fuko too.” Isamu added his sincerity even though he was still a bit rattled. This was the first time he had ever seen the ikiryo assemble after all.

“Fuko, are you okay?” Tomoyo asked.

“Fuko is fine. Why do you ask if Fuko is okay?” Fuko cocked her head slightly as she asked the tall blond.

“Parts of you are indistinct.” Tomoyo answered while her critical eye swept over what she could see of the short apparition.

“Huh?” Fuko didn’t understand Tomoyo’s comment.

“It’s as if parts of you are constantly falling apart and reforming.” Ryou explained at a simpler level.

“This might be… this is harder than Fuko thought.” Fuko said as her face took on a look of intense concentration. Her body started to solidify more, but she stopped when she heard Ryou cry out.

“Stop Fuko!” Ryou shook the hands she was holding for emphasis, “I don’t want you to strain yourself!”

“But… Fuko wants to stay.” Fuko said sadly.

“No. Fuko must not stay. I want Fuko to go back to her body and tell Yukine that I will do everything I can to help Youhei. And Fuko, this is very important! Tell her that I will call her as soon as I know anything. Anything at all. Can you do that for me?” Ryou called upon her authoritative doctor personae to make sure that there was no argument from Fuko.

“I can do that! I’ll go tell her right now!” Fuko pulled her hands away from Ryou and started to fade away.

“You can wait until she wakes up. Fuko? Did you hear me?” Ryou called out, but there was no longer anyone on the other side of Youhei. Ryou sat down heavily on her side of the bed and dropped her head into her hands.

“Ryou… why was it so important for her to go back now?” Tomoyo asked.

“I was worried that projecting the ikiryo so far would be a strain on her mind or body. And, if that made her sick… I’m pretty sure there are no physicians in Hokkaido that are familiar with weakness symptoms caused by ikiryo manifestation.” Ryou replied without taking her head out of her hands.

“Hokkaido? Heh, I’m purty sure yor the only one on the planet that knows… that stuff.” Isamu laughed.

“His language may be unpolished,” Tomoyo said as she elbowed Isamu in the ribs, “but he’s probably right. So, did you know she could still manifest the ikiryo?”

“No.” Ryou looked up from her hands and tried to think back through all the time that had elapsed since the flesh-and-blood Fuko had come out of her coma. “I’m pretty sure this is the first time since she woke up.”

“Is there a problem with her doing that?” Mei asked.

“Well, the only time she did it before was when she was in a coma. So…” Ryou was answering when a cold feeling gripped everyone in the room. All of them were now worried that the effort of manifesting the ikiryo had put the real Fuko back into a coma.

“I should call Nagisa and have her check on…” Ryou had pulled out her phone and was about to press the icon to call Nagisa when her phone started ringing in her hands. The caller identification said it was coming from Yukine.

 

**Saturday early morning, March 26 – Okazaki villa**

* * *

Yukine had not been able to get back to sleep since Nagisa has awoken her to give her the message from Ryou about her husband. Her roommate, Yuki, slept like a log though. She had turned the little night-light off and tried to go back to sleep, but knowing what Nagisa had told her, she couldn’t stop the worried thoughts from spinning around in her head. Her eyes sprung open in the dark room when she felt a hand grasp hers and a familiar but unexpected voice from the side of her futon.

“Yukine-chan. Fuko has a message for you.” Fuko was trying to keep her voice down despite her excitement.

“Fuko! You startled me. I didn’t even hear you come in. What is this about a message?” Yukine asked.

“Ryou-chan said to tell you that Youhei-kun lost a lot of blood, but his head is made of iron so he should be okay.” Fuko then paused to remember the other thing she was supposed to convey.

“Ryou-chan said… what?” Yukine reached for her phone to see if she had missed a message.

“Oh yes, and Ryou-chan said that she promises that she will call you as soon as she knows anything at all.” Fuko repeated the message and smiled that she had dutifully performed her important mission.

“When did you talk to Ryou-chan? Did you use Nagisa’s phone?” Yukine couldn’t see more than the outline of her friend with only the reflected light of her phone's screen, but it was enough to give her a place to direct her confusion.

“Fuko was just there. That’s what Ryou-chan told Fuko to tell you.” Fuko tried to explain.

“Fuko-chan, that doesn’t make any sense.” Yukine slipped her thumb up to the dial icon on the message window she had open, and a moment later it started to make the call. As soon as she heard the first ring, she brought the phone to her face and the light from the screen winked out and the room was again, plunged into darkness. She figured that if Ryou were asleep, the call would roll over to voice mail. But if Ryou was awake, she needed to clear up this confusion.

“Yukine?” Ryou’s voice sounded startled, but awake. Not waiting for an answer, she quickly asked, “Is Fuko there?”

“Yes, she is here beside my bed. How… how did you know?” Yukine suddenly had a sinking feeling as her sleepy mind stumbled across a possibility that would explain everything.

“She was just here, at the Oka… Sunohara home.” Ryou said slowly and carefully to make sure Yukine knew that this wasn’t some kind of mad dream. Then she asked, “Yukine, is… is the Fuko next to you wearing our old high school uniform?”

“Um...” Ryou pulled the phone away from her face so the screen would light up, then she turned it so that the light shone on the short girl kneeling beside her futon. Yukine gasped. Even in the dim light of the cell phone’s screen, she could see the distinctive blue tights, pleated skirt, and shirt, with the yellow and white sailor blazer. She knew that Fuko had not packed that outfit to bring along on the trip, so there could be only one explanation. Pulling the phone back to her face while getting out of the futon she told Ryou, “I have to go. I need to check on Fuko.”

“Fuko is right here!” Fuko looked at Yukine with confusion.

Yukine put a finger over Fuko's lips to signal the ikiryo to be quiet, so as not to wake Yuki. But she was surprised to see that Fuko actually obeyed. They both kept quiet until Yukine was in the hallway and the door to the room was closed. Then the whispering started as they walked the short distance down to Nagisa’s room where Fuko was sleeping.

“Fuko-chan, you know that you’re an ikiryo, right?” Yukine asked.

“Yes.” Fuko replied simply, but seemed embarrassed, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

“Is this the first time you came out since… the real Fuko woke up?” Yukine asked.

“Fuko is…” the ikiryo didn’t like hearing her good friend Yukine infer that she was a fake. But she understood that Yukine was worried and she addressed the concern that she did understand, “This is the first time.”

Yukine stopped in front of Nagisa's door, turned and embraced the saddened ikiryo. Her body trembled with emotion and the tears streamed down into Fuko’s hair.

“Ah! Yukine-chan, what is wrong? Fuko did not mean to upset you.” a startled Fuko reacted, but she didn’t try to struggle away.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Yukine sobbed, “I like the other Fuko too, but it was you… You are the one I met first and knew all through high school. And, even after high school.”

“But… after the other Fuko woke up, nobody needed this Fuko any more.” Fuko’s statement sounded more like a question as her arms closed around the old friend that was still clinging to her.

“Baka! Who cares about _need_. I _wanted_ to see you. I wanted to see you so much. Even though the real Fuko was able to remember everything you did, I still missed _you_.” Yukine said as she pulled the ikiryo into a tighter embrace.

“You did?” Fuko gasped in a startled but happy way.

“I felt so guilty because I wanted the real Fuko to wake up from her coma, but I didn’t want you to go away.” Yukine admitted.

“Why didn’t you tell Fuko?” Fuko asked.

“Oh?” Yukine pulled back from her hug so that she could look into the ikiryo’s eyes, “And how was I supposed to do that? After finally waking up, do you really think I could ask her to go back into a coma so I could see my friend again?” Yukine challenged.

“But… Fuko does not need to be in a coma for Fuko to come out.” Fuko replied.

“Are you sure?” Yukine now looked very serious to the ikiryo, “When we go into that room, am I going to be able to wake the real Fuko, or will I have to call an ambulance?”

“Fuko… Fuko doesn’t know for sure.” Fuko confessed.

“Listen to me Fuko. You are my very dear friend. But the Fuko in this room is also a very dear friend. And… if something bad has happened to her…” Yukine struggled to say something that she really did not want to have to put into words.

“Fuko understands.” the ikiryo’s head dipped and she elaborated so that Yukine would know that she was fully aware of her responsibility, “If Fuko’s… _real_ body is back in a coma, this Fuko will never come out again. Fuko promises.”

“But… if your body is just asleep,” Yukine took Fuko’s hands and touched foreheads with the shorter girl, “I want to see you again.”

“Really?” Fuko replied with excited hope.

“Yes!” Yukine confirmed before she released Fuko and opened the door.

 

Nagisa was startled with the sound of someone moving around in the room. She immediately turned on the bedside light and was greeted with a very strange sight. Fuko was still asleep on her futon with Ushio, but Yukine was kneeling behind her and another Fuko was standing behind Yukine.

“Ah!” a startled Nagisa cried out when she noticed the Hikarizaka High School blazer and realized what she was looking at.

The cry was enough to wake both Ushio and Fuko from their slumber.

“Mama?” a confused Ushio didn’t remember leaving her bed earlier in the night and wondered why she wasn’t where her mother was.

“Yukine-chan!” Fuko rolled over and grasped her friend’s hand. Both of them looked at the empty space behind Yukine for a moment before they turned to face each other again. “Fuko… I mean… I did it again, didn’t I?”

“It’s good that you know that you did it. Did you try to do it while you were going to sleep?” Yukine asked.

“No. But I was worried about Youhei-kun when I was going to sleep.” Fuko replied.

“That’s probably what did it.” Yukine thought for a moment and asked, “How much do you remember?”

“It’s fuzzy… like trying to remember a dream. But, it’s not like the way you slowly forget a dream. Instead, it’s like I slowly remember more.” Fuko explained.

“Then, remember this – I told your ikiryo that I missed her very much… and I did.” Yukine said.

“Huh?” Fuko was confused by this. “But, I was always here.”

“I don’t really see both of you as exactly the same person.” Yukine could see that this didn’t clear up any of the confusion for her friend, “Your ikiryo is still wearing the old high school uniform and she still makes me feel like I’m talking to a fifteen year old girl who is about to start her first year. But you… you have grown up a lot. You are more mature.”

“I am?” Fuko reacted to Yukine’s explanation with delight. She insisted that she was an adult all the time, so to hear that from Yukine was amazing praise to her.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like your ikiryo any less. I think of both of you as my precious friends. Do you understand that?” Yukine wanted to make that perfectly clear because she knew that the ikiryo would hear what Fuko heard.

“Yes!” Fuko answered quickly, and happily. Yukine had been her friend ever since she woke up, then she got the memories from her ikiryo and knew that Yukine had been her friend and stalwart supporter for almost as long as she had been in the coma.

“So Fuko… now that I know that you can summon your ikiryo without having to go into a coma, I need to ask a favor.” Yukine bowed slightly as she asked,

“Anything I can do for Yukine-chan, Fu… I would be happy to do it!” Fuko replied.

“Then, when you go back to sleep, I want you to think about your ikiryo visiting me.” Yukine bowed a little lower and emphasized, “I am worried about Youhei too, so it doesn’t matter if I am asleep. I want her to wake me up and tell me everything she knows. Can you… can you try to do that for me?”

“Yes!” Fuko said determinedly and, opening her arms, turned to the little girl in the futon next to her, “Will Ushio help me get back to sleep?”

“Yup!” Ushio moved in close to Fuko and happily joined the cuddle.

Yukine pulled the blanket up over both of the two on the futon. Then, turning to Nagisa bowed and offered, “Sorry for disturbing you Nagisa-chan.”

“No no no! It’s okay. I wasn’t asleep yet anyway.” Nagisa waved off Yukine’s apology then added, “I hope Youhei is okay.”

“Thank you very much.” Yukine gave the more formal thanks as she backed out of the room and closed the door. As soon as she was in the hallway by herself, she dropped her head down into her hands and quietly wept. She was very worried about Youhei too. She knew that being a police officer was a dangerous job anywhere, and usually a thankless one. It had really bothered her when he used to go off to work in his patrol officer uniform. Sometimes she wondered if that uniform had a magical property to attract danger. But, those days were gone now; she hadn't been worrying about him as much since he became a detective.

And now this.

The thought of becoming a widowed mother raising a child scared her. The idea of little Yasuo growing up without his father saddened her, but the child she was carrying now would never even know him. The tears started falling down her cheeks. She wiped at them with one hand while the other patted her tummy. At only seven weeks, there would be no visible sign, nor would she feel anything. But she knew. Even before the pregnancy test confirmed it, she knew. And, for some reason that couldn't be explained or understood, she also just _knew_ that the child would be a girl this time. So now, something she was looking forward to would be the wonderful faces Youhei would make when he doted on his little girl. But… that wouldn't happen if he didn't pull through.

When she got to the door for the room she shared with Yuki, she stopped for a moment and took several deep breaths to calm herself. Pulling her hands down from her eyes, she made sure she wasn't sobbing any more when she opened the door. It didn't matter though. Yuki was still asleep and the way she was sprawled over her futon, it looked like she was having a dream about mountain climbing. She was glad that her friend could be so carefree and got back into her own futon as quietly as she could.

Yukine took the time to send Ryou a message to let her know that Fuko… the _flesh-and-blood_ Fuko was okay. Then she put her phone back on the charger and, rolling over onto her back, pulled the blanket up to her chin. Her mind was whirling with all the worries and concerns from the events that seemed to have conspired against her recently. It was a lot to think about and she wondered if she would be able to get back to sleep before this night was over.

“Fuko thinks Youhei-kun will be okay.” Fuko's voice said softly from nearby.

“Eep!” Yukine wasn't one to be afraid of the dark, but there had been no sign or sound to let her know someone else was in the room before she heard Fuko's voice. But she recovered quickly and reached out in the direction of the sound and clasped Fuko's hand, “So, he didn't look so bad then?”

“No, he looked pretty bad. He had tubes running in his arms and mouth, and all kinds of things connected to him.” Fuko paused as if to consider and compare, “But… his face didn't look all gross like that time Tomoyo kicked him a hundred times… or that time Tomoyo threw baseballs at his face… or that time…”

“Stop, Fuko.” Yukine said sadly, “If the only reason you think he will get better is because he doesn't look as bad as the times before… well, that doesn't give me a lot of hope.”

“That's not all.” Fuko insisted, “Youhei's a good person, he's tough, and he has Ryou-chan there to take care of him.” Fuko said honestly.

“Fuko…” Yukine thought for a moment about explaining the art of the _little white lie_ to make someone feel better. But she reconsidered since that was one of the things that made Fuko who she was.

“What is it, Yukine-chan?” Fuko asked.

“Nothing. Thank you for coming to tell me that. I feel better now. I might even be able to get back to sleep.” Yukine closed her eyes and did start to doze off, but realized that she was still holding Fuko's hand. “Fuko, you don't have to stay with me. I don't want you to strain yourself.”

“Fuko can do this much! It's not even hard for Fuko to do this much.” Fuko said defensively, but her tone changed to an appeal when she asked, “Fuko wants to stay with Yukine-chan… if it is okay.”

“Hah!” Yukine lifted the blanket in a welcoming way, “Well if you're going to stay anyway, you might as well cuddle with me and help keep me warm.”

“Yes!” Fuko chirped as she plunged into the warmth of the waiting blanket and snuggled up against her old friend. “Fuko is very happy now.”

“I can see that.” Yukine giggled at how much the ikiryo still acted like a little girl. Then she commented, “I'm a little surprised though. After all this time, I would have thought you'd want to cuddle with your nephew or your niece.”

“Silly Yukine-chan, Fuko is already there!” Fuko said proudly.

 

In the room where the four younger boys were sleeping on futons spread out on the floor, one of the blankets now covered the sudden arrival of a teenage girl in a school uniform. Yasuo didn't wake up when the ikiryo slipped in behind him, but a smile spread across his face as he was pulled into a familiar hug.

In another room that Maiko shared with her mother, both of the futons were invaded. Kouko pulled her sister's ikiryo into a hug in much the same way that the other Fuko in the room held onto her niece.

Back in the room where the real Fuko slept, Nagisa noticed how close Ushio was to Fuko. More interestingly though, they both seemed to have beatific smiles while they were sleeping and Nagisa had to wonder if they were both having the same dream.

 

**Sunday early morning, March 27 – Hidaka Line Station**

* * *

The decision on which route to take home had been an easy one. Along Honshu's north-east coast, the sea-port town of Minato, near Sendai was still clearing the wreckage from the harbor. Even the further port city of Oarai was not yet ready to resume service. It wouldn't have mattered much if they had recovered though. Kyou had thought ahead and reserved return tickets on the same route that had safely brought them to Hokkaido a little over two weeks prior. So they would be passing through Hokkaido’s capitol city of Sapporo to take the long distance ferry back to Niigata once again. But first, they had to get to that port city.

They were all gathered at the small town’s train station, which also happened to be the last stop on the line. From here, the train would head west, stopping at more than two dozen stations before finally getting to the the terminal in Tomakomai that would take them to downtown Sapporo. The trip would take more than five hours, mostly because of all the stops, but that is only when the train is running… which it wasn’t. At least for the moment, the train service out of Samani wasn’t going anywhere. Kyou had been busy talking to the train service representatives since she arrived. She was trying to convince them to start up the trains, but as much as they wanted to, they simply could not.

Unfortunately, there were several places between where they were, in Samani – and where they wanted to be, in Tomakomai, where the train tracks had been washed out by the Tsunami. Work had not gone as well as had been hoped for, on the task of clearing the rails, but the workers had been hopeful that they would be able to resume service later that morning. But, as Kyou was discovering, all of their hopes were dashed since the work crews relayed some unexpected and disappointing news. While working on the tracks, they had discovered that the electrical system was out in several places, in addition to the track damage. Electrical workers were being sent out to make repairs, but the local representatives apologetically informed Kyou that it was no longer expected that train service would resume for several days

Tomoya was outside and away from the noisy interior of the train station so he could make some calls. Trying to find another way to get to Sapporo, or at least to Tomakomai, he was discovering that all of the locally available rental buses had already been spoken for. Trying to think of the next alternative, he noticed Kenta and the boys talking to some men in the street. His first instinct was to worry that they their presence here had upset some local toughs, but that concern was dismissed when he heard them all laughing together. To his surprise, Kenta looked about for a moment, then waved Tomoya over after spotting him.

“Kenta?” Tomoya asked as he approached the group of men dressed in different kinds of work clothes.

“Okazaki-sama,” Kenta said more formally than usual, “These here are captains of some of the fishing boats that park here in Samani.”

“The boats are called trawlers and we dock, we don’t park.” one of the older captains said gruffly, but with a friendly humor in his voice.

“We hear it’s thanks to your boys here that we got our harbor back so soon.” another of the captains said.

“My boys?” Tomoya raised an eyebrow and looked to Kenta for an explanation, but Kenta had a poker face on. And that told Tomoya everything – Kenta was up to something, and his confused answer was on the verge of ruining it. “Sorry, sorry… you see, I have two young boys and I was just confused for a moment that they got into something they shouldn’t have.”

“I knows the Okazaki family. Ain’t they all into farming up in the hills? How comes ya gots men what can repair a harbor workin for ya?” another of the seamen asked.

“We’re not from around here.” Kenta said quickly – partly to answer the local’s question, but mostly to give Tomoya a tip on how he should answer the man.

“I am related to the local Okazaki family, but we are all from Honshu.” Tomoya told them.

“Y’all from Tokyo?” the seaman sounded amazed.

“No, not Tokyo proper. It’s a town not too far from there though.” Tomoya replied.

“Still, I betcha its biggern this place.” the seaman sounded like he longed to get away from this small town and go… anywhere.

“Not really.” Tomoya looked around, evaluating the area around him and doing some fast comparisons, “Maybe a little, but not much.”

“Aww, I wanted to hear about Tokyo.” the disappointed seaman said as he kicked a rock out of the street.

“Don’t worry about him.” the gruff captain said, “That boy’s been wanting to get out of these parts all his life. But he never does.”

The group laughed while the young seaman kicked another rock in mild embarrassment.

“So, what are you doing so far from home?” the younger captain asked.

“We were visiting family here, but now… we’re just trying to get home.” Tomoya told them.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a problem. The news said that the ferries from Tomakomai to Minato and Oarai are shut down until the harbors get repaired.” the older captain said.

“Didn’t they say that the Oarai ferry will temporarily be going to Tokyo though?” the younger captain asked.

“Yah, but they’re booked up for the next several months. The news said they was trying to get some of the other ferry companies to run the route with them to help out.” the gruff captain replied.

“We have tickets on the Otaru – Niigata ferry, but… they are for tomorrow, and I don’t know how we can get there now. At least, I don’t see how we can get there in time.” Tomoya said sadly.

“What time does that ferry leave?” the gruff captain asked.

“Five in the evening.” Tomoya replied. A quick glance at Kenta told him that he had played his role perfectly, although he still wasn’t sure what this was all about.

“Well hell,” the younger captain rubbed his gloved hands together and spoke as if he had come to a decision, “a trawler ain’t no good with fouled nets anyways.”

Tomoya was about to ask if that was some kind of salty sailor wisdom but a gesture from Kenta told him to hold off.

“I’m of the same mind.” the gruff captain seemed to agree with something the younger man had said, then turned and asked, Okazaki-san, how many do you have in your party?”

“Twenty-two, seven of them are children.” Tomoya replied as he did when they were asked _how many_ by a restaurant – the total, and then the children. After his reply, he wondered if this was some kind of weird response that all parents got in the habit of doing.

“That could work.” the elder captain said while he rubbed his bearded chin in thought. “Neither of our boats could take the whole group, but between us, we can get you to Tomakomai.”

“Excuse me?” Tomoya looked from Kenta to the two captains for an explanation.

“Their trawling nets got all messed up on some of the debris from the tsunami.” Kenta started to explain.

“That garbage played merry hell with the booms and winches too.” the older captain added.

“We need to set into the repair facilities in Tomakomai anyway, but making a little money on the way will make this hurt a lot less.” the younger captain said with a sly smile.

“Hurt?” Tomoya asked.

“These are fishing boats. If we’re not fishing, we’re not making money.” the younger captain replied.

“The trip to Tomakomai, the time it takes to finish the repairs, and the trip back… all of that is lost income for us.” the older captain explained.

“Fair enough.” Tomoya knew that he didn’t have a lot of money on hand and he didn’t want to wait another day for the banks to open, so he hoped these fishing boat captains would ask something reasonable. “What’s your price?”

“I think… a thousand each would be reasonable.” the younger captain suggested and the older one nodded in agreement.

“A thousand each...” Tomoya didn’t have twenty-two thousand yen and wondered if he would be able to scrape up that much if all the adults chipped in whatever they had on them. Alternatively, he could try and bargain them down since this was a destination they were heading to anyway. He was about to begin that debate when he felt something being pushed into his hand.

Kenta still wore his poker face, but there was something about him that made Tomoya think he looked like a cat that was very pleased with himself. Tomoya looked down into his hands and found a roll of ten-thousand yen notes bound together with a rubber band.

“Wha...” Tomoya only let his shock show for a moment before clearing his throat and doing his best to clear his expression, “I guess… that sounds reasonable. Where do we find your boats?”

 

After the agreement was reached and the meet-up instructions were given, Tomoya turned to Kenta, held up the role of yen and demanded, “Where did this come from?”

“You know that lottery list that we take with us on missions now?” Kenta asked.

“Yes.” Tomoya was aware of the list, but he didn’t see how something like that could help them here on this world.

“Our last trip was to another world that was in our future, right?” Kenta led Tomoya to the conclusion without admitting anything.

“You… you updated the list? And it worked?” Tomoya asked, but Kenta only smiled. He knew why Kenta didn’t want to say any more. Technically, they had never covered the rules on the use of the Takarakuji trick on their own world and… there might be some ethical questions from… certain people. But Tomoya was stunned that Kenta had made it work here. _Surely, he didn’t do this without checking first with Tomoyo, but… whether she gave her consent or not, it looks like it had to_ _have_ _work_ _ed_ _. The evidence is right here in my hand._

“You’re not upset, are ya?” Kenta asked as they all began to walk back toward the warm train station.

“No.” Tomoya said truthfully. After all, if it had been him, he would have done the same thing. He blamed his delinquent past, or all the times his father worked himself beyond his limits just so the two of them could survive. _Somebody might have issues with this, but I don’t._ “Let’s just keep this between us for now. But, when we get a chance… we need to have a talk.”

“Oh?” Kenta looked at Tomoya askance, “Are you gonna reprimand me?”

“Ha! Nothing like that. But, you do need to talk to someone about how to invest it.” Tomoya challenged.

“Invest it?” Kenta’s surprise was evident. He had been expecting a long lecture but not this.

“Sure.” Tomoya started ticking off his fingers, “Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, trusts, savings accounts for things like weddings, college...”

“I ain’t goin to no college.” Takeshi grunted.

“Maybe not you.” Tomoya stopped and faced Takeshi with the rest of them listening to the exchange, “But, what about your kids?”

“My kids?” Takeshi almost choked on the words. He didn’t have a wife or even a girlfriend. He certainly didn’t have any kids… that he knew of.

“Hiroki fell in love with the Nagisa from another universe. She fell in love with him because he was strong, courageous, and responsible.” Tomoya reminded them.

“What does that have to do with me?” Takeshi replied.

“You are _all_ strong, courageous, and responsible. There is no reason you won’t find a fate like Hiroki’s. But, you don’t have to go to another universe. Don’t you see? You’re not thugs any more. The happy life with the home, and the wife, and the kids… it’s not a fantasy any more. This is something within your grasp.” Tomoya told them while meeting each of their eyes. He had heard from Yukine how they thought of themselves as cursed, and it pained her that their attempts to get away from the shackles of that curse were only half-hearted.

“But… if we find someone and… fall in love, we won’t be able to go on any more missions.” Takeo said softly.

“Guys… I don’t know what you’re thinking about these missions, but they won’t last forever.” Tomoya told them.

“What do ya mean?” Iwao asked.

“The time where the alternate Ushio’s are doing their searches, overlaps with our time for now… but it won’t always be so. Eventually, all of this exploration will come to an end and you will need to find other things to do.” Tomoya could see that some of them had already considered this but others hadn’t. “That’s why I want you to use your money and your experiences to make sure you have a happy future. So yeah… if you do it right, you can have the house with the white fence and the wife and the kids.”

Tomoya’s morale building speech didn’t have quite the effect he had anticipated. First, Mikio started laughing, then Takeshi, and finally everyone. He was about to demand to know what was so funny when Mikio spoke up.

“All right, Okazaki-sama. We will have that talk and start thinking about our futures. But, I gotta warn ya,” Mikio paused and chuckled a bit before finishing his thought, “You living with a retired high school counselor and a school teacher has really affected you.”

“What do you mean?” Tomoya accepted Mikio’s chummy arm around his shoulder as they started towards the train station again.

“Bright rosy futures and we need to think of what we are going to do with our lives. Seriously?” Mikio laughed, “I haven’t heard anything like that since the principal’s speech at the beginning of middle school!”

“Ah!” Tomoya felt as if an invisible arrow had just run through him, but it only injured the fading, carefree spirit of his youth. He knew that each year since high school, that spirit had been fading as the pile of adult responsibilities continued to grow. With Kotomi and Kyou’s encouragement, he had taken each challenge on as it came to him. Marriage, college, children, managing the finances of the family and of the project, and recently his involvement with government politics. All of these things had chipped away at the carefree youth that he used to be, until it had become as insubstantial as a shadow. Tomoya knew this would happen eventually, and had even accepted that fate. But, he didn’t have to like it.

 

**Monday morning, March 28 – Sunohara residence**

* * *

Youhei woke up feeling like he was caught in a gigantic spider’s web… and he didn’t much care for spiders. On top of that, there was something in his throat that was kicking off his gag reflex. He tried to fight to get away from the web and to get this thing out of his throat, but the gigantic spider suddenly grabbed him and started yelling.

“Sunohara-san, calm down! It’s me!” the spider yelled at him. But there was no comfort in knowing that it was a talking spider that had grappled him.

“What’s going on?” Ryou yelled as she came into the room.

“He woke up, but he’s fighting.” Isamu reported as he tried to keep Youhei from ripping the IV needles out of his arms.

“He’s panicking.” Ryou said as she ran around the bed to get over Youhei’s face. “Youhei! Listen to me! You are in your home and in your bed. Please calm down. You were injured and I have medical things connected to you. So, please calm down so I can get them out. Okay?”

Youhei became still… perfectly still. His eyes were riveted on a pair of perfect breasts dangling just over his face. The skin was smooth as marble, but looked soft and delicate. Gently swaying globes with dark areolas and firm little nipples bobbed just over his forehead. _If I raise my head just a little, I can… waitaminit… these aren’t my wife’s boobs. What the…_

“That’s good Youhei. Just stay calm and I’ll get the breathing tube out first.” Ryou told him.

 _That’s Ryou’s voice. So, these are Ryou’s boobs. I shouldn’t be looking at them, but… they’re really nice._ Youhei blinked several times, but the boobs were still there. He knew he shouldn’t be looking at them, but he didn’t want them to go away either.

“I’m pulling out the tube now. This might feel a little painful. Please bear with it.” Ryou said apologetically before she started pulling the breathing tube out of Youhei’s throat.

The reaction was as expected. Youhei choked, gagged, coughed, gasped for air a few times, then collapsed back onto the bed, taking deep breaths of air.

“Ryou.” Tomoyo called from the doorway.

“Just a minute, I need to get the IV lines out of his arms next.” Ryou said as she struggled to put the intubation line away.

“Maybe you should button up your shirt first.” Tomoyo suggested.

“Huh?” Ryou looked down to see that she was wearing her shirt, but had no bra on - and the shirt was hanging open. In her rush to get out of bed when Isamu hollered for her, she realized she must have missed a few steps in the _getting dressed_ process. “Oh!” Ryou spun around and rapidly buttoned up her shirt.

“Is he okay?” Mei had arrived at the door with Tomoyo. She wanted to rush into the room and hug her big brother, but the platinum blond stopped her.

“Ryou isn’t finished yet. Why don’t you go call Yukine and give her the good news.” Tomoyo suggested.

“Won’t she be out of range… on the ferry now?” Mei asked.

“Their ferry doesn’t leave until five this evening. You have plenty of time to call her, but I think she would want to hear about this sooner, rather than later. Don’t you?” Tomoyo suggested.

“I’m…” Ryou said through her embarrassment after Mei had left, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Youhei.”

“No...” Youhei wanted to say more, but making words hurt his neck as if there were shards of glass cutting up his throat from the inside.

“Don’t try to talk for a little while, Youhei. Just rest until the pain goes away.” Ryou told him as she got to work on the IV tube in his right arm.

Youhei thought about doing what Ryou had said, but he couldn’t let this stand. Her clumsiness may have been inappropriate, but in no way was it unappreciated. Summoning his will to endure the pain, he took a deep breath and did his best to deliver the message as succinctly as possible, “So… pretty… fear… gone.”

Ryou had stopped after finishing with Youhei’s right arm and had been checking some instruments. She wanted to be sure that it wasn’t premature to take him off both drips. When his croaking voice began to speak, she looked up to see him struggling valiantly to get each word out. His face twisted in pain with each word, but he pressed on. She had expected to hear him asking what had happened, or to call his wife.

_So… pretty… fear… gone._

It took Ryou a moment to realize what the message meant. When she did, her blush came back in force and she was unable to speak.

 

Mei had been unable to reach anyone in the Hokkaido party the first few times she dialed. Each time, she came back to the bedroom where her brother was resting, and got a little more information from Ryou. Each time it looked like Ryou was more embarrassed than the last time. And, each time it seemed like Tomoyo wanted her to go back to the living room to make her phone call. _What on earth are they doing in there? Why won’t they tell me? He’s my brother, after all. So, if anyone should know what’s going on, it should be…_

“Hello?” Yukine answered her phone.

“Ah, Yukine!” Mei shouted excitedly, “Onii-chan woke up and he’s going to be okay!”

“What? That is great news! Tell me everything.” Yukine’s voice sounded excited too.

“He’s… going to be okay.” Mei felt herself grasping the cell phone in her hand as if she were trying to crush it. Her eyes were staring wide and her body was shaking.

“Yes, I heard that. Are you okay?” Yukine’s voice had a little concern in it now.

“Onii-chan’s… going to be… okay.” Mei choked the words out through sobs that had suddenly welled up from within her. All the worry, the fear, and the tension that had been pent-up, was now released.

“Mei? Mei-chan? Talk to me! Are you all right?” Yukine called out to her from the cell phone’s speaker, but the voice sounded so far away. And the meaning of the words were too difficult to grasp.

“Onii… chan… is… going… to… be… okay.” Mei choked out the individual words through the wracking sobs that shook her body to the core. But the loneliness that she didn’t even realize she was feeling, was suddenly dispelled when her body was pulled into a crushing hug and the cell phone was stripped away from her grasp.

 

“Yukine, this is Tomoyo. Mei is okay. She’s just had a pretty bad couple of days.” Tomoyo said over the cell phone she had taken from the relief stricken girl.

“Thank you, Tomoyo. Can you tell me about my husband?” Yukine asked.

“After he woke up, Ryou pulled the tube out of his throat that was helping him to breathe. Apparently, it is a pretty painful process, so it would be best if Youhei didn’t try to talk for an hour or so. When he’s awake again, I’ll give him the cell phone so he can text with you.” Tomoyo told Yukine while holding onto the still shivering Mei.

“Thank you, Tomoyo. And, please thank Ryou for me too. I know she has done a lot for Youhei.” Yukine asked.

“Yes… yes she has.” Tomoyo’s lip curled up as she remembered the scene that had just played out in front of her.

 

**Monday evening, March 28 – Otaru Ferry Terminal**

* * *

The previous day’s journey in the fishing trawlers had been… interesting. To many of the adults, it was a fun time and they enjoyed feeling the brisk sea breeze blowing through their hair. Most of the children had no memories of the passage since they went to sleep soon after taking their motion-sickness medicine and didn’t wake up until the trip was over. The other adults didn’t fare so well, unfortunately. For Kouko, Sugisaka, Yuki, and Yukine – the affects varied. Sugisaka and Yuki were okay as long as they didn’t move much and kept their eyes on the horizon, but Kouko and Yukine seemed to have suffered from the moment they stepped onto the boats until they finally disembarked.

In truth, the misery didn’t end with the six hour long sea voyage. They were still feeling so unsteady that the rest took pity on them and decided to find a hotel to stay the night in Tomakomai, rather than press on with the train that would take them to Sapporo.

Sleeping all night and the arrival in the downtown Sapporo station seemed to have helped. The giant train station doubled as a shopping mall, replete with souvenir gift shops and deli’s that featured many of the local products from Hokkaido. But even a day of mall-shopping wasn’t enough to erase the memory of the previous day’s experience when they got to the ferry terminal in Otaru.

“Oh please… not another boat.” Kouko groaned. Her pale complexion added a visual element to the dread in her plea.

Yukine, who was standing next to Kouko, seemed to be on the verge of losing her courage as well.

“Hey, don’t worry about it this time. This ferry is huge, it’s nothing like those fishing trawlers! It’s like a cruise ship that carries cars and trucks as well as people.” Kyou said encouragingly.

“We could fly back.” Yukine offered.

“I already looked into that. All the flights are booked for weeks.” Kyou told them.

“Can’t we just take the Shinkansen back?” Kouko appealed, with Yukine quick to nod in agreement.

“The Shinkansen won’t be running through the undersea tunnel for another five years.” Tomoya told them.

“The Cassiopeia…” Yukine said hopefully.

“Even that train isn’t running now.” Kyou said regretfully. The Cassiopeia was an overnight train that went through the undersea tunnel and would get them all the way back to Tokyo. But the main reason for Kyou’s regret was that she too would like to have traveled on the Cassiopeia. The Hokkaido to Tokyo train had the reputation as one of the most luxurious trains in all of Japan. The passenger cars on this overnight passage offered suite rooms with their own bathrooms and showers, dining cars and lounges, and large windows to take in some of the most beautiful scenery that northern Japan had to offer. Unfortunately… “The track damage from the earthquake and tsunami haven’t been repaired yet. And besides… even if it was running – it is a very popular line and the tickets are sold out months in advance.”

“I’ll wait.” Kouko offered meekly.

“Sensei...” Kyou’s dark aura started to form around her eyes as she glowered at the arts teacher, “are you saying that you are going to break your promise to teach at my school?”

“Eep!” Kouko suddenly discovered that there was something scarier than getting back on another boat. But the fright didn’t last long. Kyou’s dark aura was snuffed out almost immediately.

Kyou felt a warm squeeze around her ribs and looked down to see an angry Fuko holding her back with all her might.

“Kyou-san will _not_ hurt Fuko’s Onee-chan! And, Kyou-san will STOP SCARING THE CHILDREN!” Fuko shouted at the frightening woman.

Kyou felt like ice cold water had suddenly drenched her. Fear that she had done the one thing that she had always dreaded, fell upon her with crushing weight. She looked around and realized that her little display of anger had been seen by everyone… including the children.

Ushio was hiding her face in Nagisa’s arms.

Maiko and Yasuo had run to their mother and looked terrified.

Michiko was frightened and hiding behind her brothers.

Yoichi took Yukine’s hand but looked saddened more than anything.

“Okāsaaaaaaaaan.” Shuichi groaned while shaking his head. To Kyou, the disappointment he showed was as painful to her as the fear from all the others.

Tomoya had considered giving Kyou a smack on the top of the head as a disciplinary gesture, but she had dropped to her knees and was bent over with her face buried in her hands to hide the embarrassment and tears.

Fuko backed away, satisfied that she had stopped the rampage against her sister, but saddened by what Kyou was now going through.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean… I’m so sorry.” Kyou wanted to also beg for forgiveness, but to have frightened the children was… inexcusable. A warm embrace and gentle patting of her head gave her some solace and she thought that Tomoya might be trying to console her. But… the hand was too small to be Tomoya…

“Don’t cry, Kyou-mama. Don’t cry.” Shuji’s gentle voice repeated in her ear as he hugged her.

“But I...” Kyou appreciated Shuji’s compassion, but she was afraid to look up and see the condemnation from all the others.

“Shhhhhh.” Shuji interrupted his mother the same way she had often taken care of him. Neither he, nor his siblings were perfect children. They had all made their share of mistakes. And when they did, and they had been truly repentant, it had often been Kyou-mama to bring them back from the shame and despair. So, now it was time for Shuji to give back the words that had been so comforting – to the person who had given them to him. “You messed up and you apologized. Are you truly sorry for what you did?”

“I am!” Kyou sobbed as she too recognized the role reversal that was taking place between her and her son. She had always meant for it to be a comfort to the children, but it was staggering to know just how much love she could feel from this simple act – now that she was on the receiving end.

“Promise me you’ll try not to do it again?” Shuji continued the ritual as his siblings now approached the two.

“I...” Kyou gasped when she felt more arms and small bodies hugging her. She could tell without looking, that it was Shuichi and Michiko that had joined their brother in coming to her emotional rescue. “I promise to do my best!”

“In that case,” Shuji pulled Kyou’s face up and kissed her on the forehead as she had done to him so many times before, then he said the magic words, “I forgive you, so it’s all okay now.”

Kyou choked out a cry of gratitude as she wrapped her three children up in a hug. But she knew that it wasn’t okay because she had hurt more than just these three. And, there would be no way that she could hope to…

“I forgive you too, Kyou-sensei.” Yoichi added from where he still stood with his mother. Yukine patted her son’s head and nodded in agreement.

“I forgive you too!” Ushio chimed in.

“Fuko does not forgive you!” Fuko interrupted the other children from joining in. With arms folded defiantly, she challenged, “Fuko… I will only forgive you after you apologize to Onee-chan.”

“Fuko!” Kouko cried out at her little sister’s audacity.

“No, Fuko is quite right.” Kyou said as she stood and faced Kouko with her formal apology, “I acted most inappropriately toward you. Please excuse my dreadful behavior.”

“Done.” Kouko also made an apologetic gesture and added, “Please forgive me for acting so childishly about getting on the ferry.”

“I must apologize for that as well.” Yukine bowed along with Kouko.

“All right!” Tomoya clapped his hands once to get everyone’s attention and announced, “As long as we are all done with our embarrassment and apologies, they have called for us to board the ferry. So, let’s get moving.”

 

A few minutes later, as they all stood in line on the ramp to the boat, Kyou was finally coming out of her anxiety from earlier. Off with their friends, the kids were no longer stuck to her side. For now, only Tomoya was next to her – but she didn’t mind that either. Taking his arm, she leaned into him and smiled.

“You’re feeling better now?” Tomoya asked, even though he didn’t need to. This was what she always did when she came out of a self-loathing funk.

“Yeah. Although, if it hadn’t been for the kids, I don’t know what I would have done.” Kyou felt the warmth in her heart rekindle when she thought of how they all came to save her from her despair.

“We do have some amazing kids.” Tomoya nodded.

“I don’t know if everyone would have forgiven me without their help.” Kyou wondered.

“Everyone didn’t forgive you.” Tomoya corrected.

“What?” Kyou thought she might have misheard, “Who didn’t forgive me?”

“I didn’t.” Tomoya said curtly, “I don’t think that apology was enough so you'll be getting a proper spanking when we get to our room.”

Kyou’s eyes opened wide. She imagined bending over his lap with one of his strong hands holding her in place while the other swung down to smack her bare bottom. The mere thought of it made her… hot.

 

A few places back in the line, Sugisaka stood with Koumura where they kept a watch on the three Okazaki children.

“Kyou-sama seems suddenly eager to get on the boat.” Sugisaka observed.

“She wasn’t reluctant before.” Koumura replied.

“No, but she wasn’t eager either… not like she is now. Look at her… she’s practically twitching.” Sugisaka commented on Kyou’s strange behavior.

“Hmm.” Koumura could see what Sugisaka was talking about. He had seen her act like that before and he wondered what Tomoya had said to her to get her so excited this time.

“Maybe she needs to pee.” Sugisaka suggested.

“Perhaps.” Koumura said. Trusting to his bushy mustache to hide his knowing grin, he tried to say nothing that would give the young maid any improper ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> * * *
> 
> **Ikiryo** :  1\. a spirit that is sent out for revenge, 2 .  the spirit manifestation of someone who is asleep or unconscious .  Fuko manifested the latter type of ikiryo when she was in her coma.
> 
> **Takarakuji** : Japanese lottery system.


End file.
